Can't You See Me?
by BrittzandTana
Summary: It's a funny coincidence that Emily's life, so changed after three years of being away, still somehow revolves consistently around the imperfect, perfect girl of Alison DiLaurentis. "You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen EMISON! Emily/Alison ! AU! Rated M for mild themes ;P
1. One

**A/N: Posting another story right now is probably the most stupid idea I've ever had, but I just love this story so much already that I had to start posting it. I have a feeling that you guys are really, really going to like it. I had a really hard time thinking of a title, and Can't You See Me? is the only thing that I manged to think of that actually could fit the story. Plus, it's a four word title, something that some of you know I love. Plus CYSM isn't the worst acronym ever.**

**Oh, I suck, sorry. Hi, if you don't already know me, I'm Tana! I've been on Fanfiction for almost two years now. I started writing Brittana stories, then Quinntana, then Dantana (Glee, Glee, Glee), then I did a not-very-brilliant Karmy fic (Faking It), and then I started working on Emison. I have two Emison one shots up, as well as two completed, full, Emison stories, and one (now two) WIPs :) I'm kind of crazy. If you're doubting that, just wait a few chapters. You'll see that actually I am sort of crazy. Though, no one has diagnosed me with anything legitimate yet ;P**

**Ew why are we talking about me? We need to be talking about this fic!**

**Italics are flashbacks and dreams... though, I don't think I will include any dreams in this story, or many different flashbacks. As you will come to discover, a specific flashback will be the intro to every chapter of this story. Each chapter will reveal a few more things about the scene in the flashback. I don't usually do stuff like that, but the idea for this story needed it :)**

**Bold words will indicate texts or emails or signs... yadayadayada... I shall clearly identify when such things are happening.**

**This story will be entirely in third person. As you'll see, it's sort of a limited third person, but unlike sometimes in the past, when I switch between people, it will not be made clear with an courtesy "AAA" or "EEE"... you'll know when it switches of course :) And sometimes it may just seem omniscient. **

**Mmm every 50th reviewer gets a shoutout, because yay for shoutouts :) I don't update based on the number of reviews I get. I update specifically based on my own free time. If I don't update for a few days, or even a few weeks, it's probably because I'm busy. I have lots of stuff to do every week, a lot more than I did last year or during the summer. School is a bitch sometimes.**

**Oh speaking of the word bitch, do not worry WYRA readers, I do not intend to do anything to get this story removed ;)**

**Well... I can't think of a thing that I've missed...**

**Soooo... I see not a reason to delay this story any further. I know a certain few of my Twitter followers are beside themselves waiting for this story...**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! Seriously, I really want to know what you guys think of this :)**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!"_

_"__Stop! Ali, I—"_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…"_

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!"_

_"__Alison!"_

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea."_

_"__No! They can't do this!"_

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside."_

_"__Emily!"_

_"__Alison!"_

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><p>Emily Fields pulled her backpack strap down, hoisting the actual bag up a little bit on her back to make it more comfortable. Not that it did anything to make her mental comfort increase. She hadn't been in this place for three years, and though she remembered it well, it all felt so different. People she remembered had transformed into different people, and at least three fourths of the people there she hadn't ever seen before.<p>

That was obvious, though. She was a senior, why should she know any of these underclassmen?

Taking a mental deep breath, she climbed up the steps to Rosewood High and started into the school. She'd always hated starting a new school year, but what was even worse than that was starting a new school year a month after everyone else had started it. She also hated moving. She never thought she'd have to go through it until college, that was until she moved out of Rosewood, and now it was her second time, moving back into Rosewood.

Emily made her way to the counselor's office, where a dusty old lady handed her a neat, white, newly printed piece of paper with her schedule printed perfectly onto it. She gave the woman a curt nod, and then left the office with her eyes scanning the paper. None of the teachers' names were familiar. Obviously not. Because these were senior teachers, not freshmen teachers.

She wondered briefly who would be in her classes, and whether or not… _she_ would be in any of them. One part of her hoped she would. The other part was significantly smaller, but its voice was loud. Stay away, it warned. Stay away from her.

First period, physics. Wonderful. She'd taken an intro to physics at her old school, but her mother had insisted that now, in senior year, she be focused on actually taking a good, informative class. She couldn't live in a rich, prestigious little town if she didn't have a prestigious daughter, obviously. Which is also why she had to go talk to the swim coach after school about joining the team a month in. Though, that was something that Emily would've done whether it was for her mother or not.

She found her way to her classroom, and approached the teacher as soon as she was in the class. "Hi, I'm Emily Fields. I just transferred here."

"Ah yes, I had notice that you would be here today," the studious looking physics teacher said with a nod, stroking his beard for a half second as he scanned the classroom. "If you'll take a seat in between Hanna Marin and Aria Montgomery, please. Maybe it'll finally keep them from talking all through class."

Emily didn't question the teacher and went immediately to the spot he'd pointed out, between a blonde and a brunette who were talking animatedly about something. She felt slightly awkward as she pulled the chair out between them at the lab table and slid into it.

But the other girls didn't seem to feel awkward at all. "Hi! Are you new?" the blonde chimed, a dimple appearing on her cheek as she smiled a closed-lip smile.

"I used to go here," Emily admitted, "but that was a while ago. So yeah, I'm new."

"Oh, that's cool. What's your name?" the blonde wondered.

"Emily," Emily answered, forcing a smile.

"Hanna," the blonde said, smiling. Emily nodded, and looked at the brunette.

"Aria," the shorter girl stated. "Welcome back to Rosewood High. Where did you transfer from?"

"A school in Texas," Emily answered. "And thanks."

"Why'd you move to Texas?" Aria wondered.

Emily hesitated for a half of a second, but then she answered, "My dad was stationed there to do training for the army for a few years. He just got sent back over seas, so me and my mom are back here."

"Oh," Aria said, looking past Emily and at Hanna, who took up the next part of the conversation.

"Well, have you seen any of your old friends yet?" Hanna asked, smiling sweetly at her.

Emily's heart rate sped up as she thought about _her_ again, and she did her best to ignore it as she shook her head. "No. I only had a few. Haven't spotted any of them yet. I don't even know if they still go here."

"You have any names?" Aria asked, but before Emily could say anything, the bell rang out loudly, and the teacher at the front of the room immediately began to talk. Emily settled into her seat and did her best to listen to the teacher drone on and on about physics. But really, all she was thinking about was _her_.

Alison DiLaurentis tightened her belt by one more hole as she started into the empty school. Fashionably late, like always. Her first period teacher was accustomed to it. Once he had realized that it wasn't going to stop, he had even stopped giving her tardy slips. In return, she didn't tell the school how little he knew about government—the subject he was teaching.

So Alison slipped into the classroom ten minutes late, receiving barely a nod from the teacher, and sat in her usual seat in the exact center of the classroom. There weren't assigned seats in this class, but everybody knew not to sit in Alison's seat.

The class passed quickly and then Alison pulled herself up and out of her seat, clicking her way in her heels out of the classroom and down the hall. People parted like the Red Sea as she strutted, not even questioning her. She stared straight ahead at her destination, something she had learned long ago. Whether you were powerful or not, everybody cleared out from in front of you if you weren't even looking at them as you walked. It gave one power.

Meanwhile, Emily padded through a different hallway with Aria, who had declared that she would help Emily get to her second class of the day. Aria seemed friendly enough, but Emily wasn't really sure about her. Emily hoped that maybe she could get used to her, because Aria really was nice.

As Emily tried to keep up with what Aria was saying, she couldn't help but notice a hallway as it filled in after clearly being parted by something. "What's that about?" Emily asked, nodding to the hallway. She didn't remember that ever happening at Rosewood High, not when she was here. No one had ever had the power to do that.

"Oh, you'll get used to that. If everyone starts to part for her, just do it too. Best to stay out of the way. That way, you won't draw her attention," Aria said, shrugging. Emily furrowed her eyebrows. Who the hell had come into this school to do _that_ since she'd left?

"Draw whose attention?" she demanded. She wasn't usually outspoken or confrontational, but she at least wanted to know who it was that seemed to rule this school that had once felt much more like one whole status as opposed to a hierarchy.

"Alison's," Aria answered, rolling her eyes.

Emily felt her eyebrows shoot up, and her heart began to race. Alison? Surely that couldn't be… it couldn't be Alison _DiLaurentis_. No, it had to be a different Alison. Not _her_. "A-Alison…?"

"DiLaurentis," Aria answered, giving Emily a weird look. "Are you okay? Come on, don't tell me that your old school didn't have a queen bee?"

"No… just…" Emily shook her head slightly. "Um, have you… have you gone here since freshmen year? Was… was Alison always like that?"

_No_. "I have, and I don't really remember. I think she rose to power in sophomore year," Aria answered, shrugging. "That's probably why you wouldn't remember her.

Oh no, Emily remembered Alison DiLaurentis. But not as a the queen bee of Rosewood High who could part the hallways without a thought. No, she had known a completely different Alison. This Alison already made her insides churn.

"Come on, class is starting soon," Aria said, and Emily made sure to catch up to her quickly. "Okay, this is your class. Mine is down the hall, so I can walk you to your next if you want?"

"Thanks," Emily sputtered, before stepping into her second period and approaching the teacher. The unpleasant looking woman gave her once over and then pointed to an empty seat at the front of the classroom. Great.

Forty-seven minutes of agonizing learning later, Emily found herself rushing out of her classroom and in the opposite direction of where Aria had said she'd be. She liked Aria, really, but she didn't want to look like the new girl. She wanted to blend it, just like she used to. Just like she always had.

She didn't see Alison anywhere on her way to her third period—English. Emily wasn't even really sure if she wanted to see Alison… on one hand, she did, but on the other…

Alison had changed. Emily hadn't changed. And after all these years, there was no way that Alison could possibly feel anything that she had felt three years ago. Right?

Emily walked into the classroom, and her English teacher told her to sit anywhere. As she faced the rows of desks, she saw that only a few were still open. Three in the front, one in the very center. The last thing she needed was to sit right in front of the teacher again, so she headed for the desk in the center. Some kids gave her weird looks, but she ignored them and found herself sitting uncomfortably in a plastic chair in the middle of the classroom.

And that's when she saw Alison for the first time in three years. She looked the same, aside from the hairspray loaded hair, the excessive mascara, the skinny jeans, the five inch heals and the red lipstick. The same girl, only totally different.

But the expression that crossed Alison's face was all to familiar when she stopped short at the sight of Emily. Everyone in the room seemed tense, and it occurred to Emily that this was possibly Alison's chair. She swallowed thickly as she met Alison's eyes. Blue eyes burned into hers, full of different emotions. The bell rang, and the blonde still hadn't taken more than two steps in to the classroom.

"Alison, if you'll please take your seat," came the teacher's voice. Alison blinked, breaking our eye contact and looking at the teacher.

"Actually, I'm going to have to pass on English today," she said, and then she turned around, and she was gone.

And Emily was left sitting in the middle of the classroom, with every set of teenage eyes on her. As if they were wondering what the hell she had just done, and what was going to happen to her for it.

Emily was wondering the very same thing.

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><p><strong>Yes, yes, I am aware that I am very evil with this first chapter. Giving you just enough for you to want more ;)<strong>

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN A QUICK REVIEW! Seriously, it helps me so much to know what you guys do and don't like :) Coming chapters will be longer than this one, by the way :) Oooh, and also, follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana :) If you tweet me that you read this story, I shall follow you back c:**

**Ah I'm so happy to share this with you all :) It's possibly one of my favorite things I've ever written. Some of the wording and parts of speech that I managed to include have made me all grammar and technical writing happy! I'm in an actual good English class this year that has got me going nuts for amazing writing :) Ooh, which reminds me, should there be any mistakes (and there probably are, because I'm not perfect), they are all mine. The only person who gets to read this before you guys is my sister, and she doesn't beta for me so :P**

**I keep talking lol sorry to keep you all. I really hope you all liked this first chapter!**

**If you're new to my stories, please go check out Read Into My Soul and Let Me Love You, my two completed Emison fics, and also Who You Really Are, my other WIP Emison story. I also have a 5x05 Emison oneshot and a 5x10 oneshot :) Check them out as well!**

**Have a great day my loves! c: Please review!**


	2. Two

**A/N: So, sorry that I didn't update WYRA last night. I did, however, write like two more chapters of this story, and so here I am, updating one this morning. Just so that everybody here knows, I'm like four chapters ahead of where you guys are reading in this story, and I plan to keep it that way :P**

**With only two more lines of further ado...**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—"_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…"_

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes._

_"__Alison!"_

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea."_

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside."_

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks._

_"__Alison!"_

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><p>Every brain cell in Alison's head was screaming at her to run away. To hide. To go far away. To never come back. But she knew that she couldn't. That it was stupid to even think like that. She shouldn't be scared of <em>her<em>.

But she was. She was terrified. She had done her very best to not think about Emily Fields for years. She had told herself that there wasn't a point in thinking about her every second like she had for weeks. She had told herself that she would never see those soft, brown eyes ever again.

She had convinced herself that Emily was gone.

But she wasn't gone, she was back and just as… just as _Emily_ as ever. Sitting in _Alison's_ seat in English class. Had that been anyone else, Alison would've walked right up to them and told them to get the hell out of her seat. But Emily… no, she couldn't ever say anything like that to Emily. She couldn't.

Especially right now, when she knew that she wouldn't be able to say a single thing to Emily. Not a hello, not a welcome back. Nothing. She wouldn't be able to say a single thing.

What did Emily think of her now? Surely she was surprised. Alison had changed a lot since Emily moved away. More than a lot, actually. She was practically a completely different person. Hardly an essence of her old self remained in this new, perfect, persona she had created for herself.

No, that actually wasn't entirely true. She could feel her old self making comments in her brain occasionally. Wondering why the hell she needed to wear such high heels in order to get attention from people. She did it anyway, of course, because the new Alison wanted attention, even if the old Alison never would have understood.

Her old self had been a child. Now, she was a woman, and she wasn't going to be held back by childhood nostalgia.

Not even in the form of Emily Fields.

Emily Fields did not really hold the same feelings. As she sat through English class, clicking her pen nonstop, she wondered what Alison was thinking right now. Surely she was surprised—in a good way, or a bad way? Surely Alison had never expected to see Emily again. She was happy to see her, right? She had missed her, right?

The look of defeat and heartbreak that had passed over Alison's face once she saw her at the beginning of class was something that Emily had only ever seen once before, on _that _night. It had killed her to see it back then, and it killed her to see it again now.

She was almost tempted to excuse herself and to go look for Alison. She decided firmly against such things, though, and found herself rising from Alison's desk only as the bell to dismiss class rang out from the intercom. She avoided all attention as she immediately left behind the class that was full of people wondering how she had taken Alison DiLaurentis' seat and gotten away with it.

Emily wasn't clueless as to how social hierarchy worked. They'd had plenty of it in Texas. She just never thought that someone like Alison could end up in that spot at the top. Not when she and Emily had both been so neatly nestled at the bottom just three years ago.

And then an alarming thought, one that had surprisingly not crossed her mind yet at all, echoed into her mind. What if Alison was still on the swim team? She highly doubted it, but if she was, Emily was totally screwed. _So totally screwed._

Swallowing thickly, as though trying to gulp down her fears, she stepped into her government class. Her teacher nodded toward a desk that she could sit in, and she found herself sitting next to a brunette who was studiously sitting upright and scribbling down notes. How was she already taking notes? Class hadn't even started yet.

The girl must haven noticed the foreign invader that was Emily, because she looked at her curiously. "Are you new?"

"I used to go here," Emily answered, nodding slowly. "But I was gone for a while. I'm back now. It's been a few years."

"So you were a freshman last time you were here?" the girl asked, nodding as if answering the question herself. "I'm Spencer Hastings."

"Emily Fields," Emily returned, smiling. She already liked this girl. For some reason, the firmness with which she spoke was reassuring. Almost familiar in a way.

"Where'd you transfer from?" Spencer wondered.

"Texas," Emily answered, nodding slowly. "We went there for a few years, because my dad got stationed there. Now he's back over seas… and me and my mom are back here."

"Oh wow, that must be weird," Spencer said, frowning. Emily shrugged.

"The weirdest part is seeing the people that I knew… even the ones I used to just look at. Everyone is so different," she commented, shaking her head slightly as she envisioned Alison clicking her way through the school in those heels. Hot, but still slightly unattractive in Emily's opinion. She was more than a looks sort of girl.

"Oh yeah?" Spencer asked, "Like who?"

"Alison DiLaurentis," Emily blurted, before cursing herself mentally for saying that. Most people here hadn't even known that Alison had even existed before sophomore year. Emily knew that, because all of these seniors had no recollection of her, and therefore, they never noticed her or Alison in the ninth grade.

"You knew Alison in ninth grade?" Spencer asked, before puffing out a bit of air. "Wow. Didn't know anyone knew her back then. It was like she just appeared out of nowhere in sophomore year."

"I… didn't really knew her. Only saw her around. Barely knew her name," Emily lied. She didn't want to be pinned as the girl who knew Alison DiLaurentis before she was cool.

"Well, that's more than most can say," Spencer said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Emily muttered. The bell rung to indicate the beginning of class, and Emily forced thoughts of Alison out of her head as she began to take notes.

Lunch was next. Spencer graciously invited Emily to sit with her, claiming that she usually didn't really sit with anyone at all. Emily was happy to oblige, because so far, Spencer was the most welcoming person she'd come across. Aria had tried, but it was just too weird around her.

And as much as she needed… or wanted to talk to Alison, she couldn't. At least, not yet. She wasn't ready.

So she and Spencer sat in the corner of the lunch room together, eating their lunch. "Have you met many people since you've been back?"

"Well… these two girls Aria and Hanna," Emily answered, shrugging. "That's it."

"Oh. I know them," Spencer commented. "They're okay."

"Just okay?" Emily wondered.

"We're sort of friends," Spencer answered, shrugging, "but I don't know."

"Not big on the whole friends thing?" Emily asked teasingly, noticing how everyone in the lunch room sat in groups of three or four, or more. Spencer just rolled her eyes in a playful way to respond.

"Do you play any sports?" she asked, changing the topic.

"I swim," Emily answered, smiling unconsciously as she said the word. "What about you?"

"Field hockey," Spencer answered, smiling. "Also tennis… and a few other sports. Are you going for the swim team?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting with the coach after school today," Emily answered, nodding.

"Awesome. Well, if you want, I can put in a good word for you. I don't swim, but I have a good rep in the coaching department," Spencer admitted. "And in the teacher department. I'm sort of involved in like every sport and every club in some way…"

Emily couldn't help but laugh at Spencer, because she'd never met anyone like her before. She could already tell that she and Spencer were going to be good friends.

And then the entire lunch room suddenly went silent, and Emily and Spencer both looked toward the entrance of the cafeteria to see what happened. Alison DiLaurentis stood there, scanning the cafeteria. Emily looked at Spencer questioningly. "She always eats outside," Spencer offered for explanation. "Just look uninterested."

But Alison's eyes suddenly locked with Emily's, and she narrowed her eyelids just the slightest bit. Emily knew exactly what Alison wanted. Knowing someone for years did that. It made it possible to recognize a look even after years of being apart.

And then Alison was gone. Spencer gave Emily a terrified look. "What did you do?"

"I sat in her seat in English class," Emily admitted, even though she knew that's not why Alison was looking at her like that. "Hey, I'll be right back. I need to use the bathroom."

And then she was gone, walking through the cafeteria with many sets of eyes piercing into her back. They watched her leave the cafeteria from where Alison had just left. She heard them whispering, talking about what had happened in English. Emily tried to block all of them out. She had to talk to Alison, and now that she knew that Alison wanted to talk to her, she could no longer wait any longer. Not even if she wanted to.

As she approached the bathroom tentatively, she took a deep breath. She didn't need to be scared. This was Alison. This was Ali. Her Ali. Changed, but still recognizable. She pushed open the girl's bathroom door and her eyes fell on the blonde, who was several inches taller than Emily due to the heels she wore on her feet.

Without those heels, Alison was a good inch shorter than Emily.

"Hi," Emily said, surprised at how firmly her voice had sounded. She had been sure that it would come out twisted and deformed by nervousness and fear. Alison took a deep breath, looking around the bathroom as if looking for something to tell her what to say.

"You're back," she finally said. Emily had craved for years to hear Alison say anything to her, anything at all, but getting this simple "you're back" did not satisfy the brunette. She wanted more. She wanted every feeling that she'd felt to be expressed back to her, now that she was here. But she had been a fool for imagining that could ever happen. It'd been three years.

"I'm back," Emily agreed, leaning backwards against the door. "And you're… different."

"I am," Alison agreed. "Sorry to call you out in front of everyone like that, but I—"

"You didn't even have to say anything to call me out," Emily mused, shaking her head slightly at what this girl had become.

Hurt flashed through Alison's piercing blue eyes for half of a second, but she blinked it away with thick, mascara covered lashes. Emily honestly could not believe that Alison had done this to herself. She had always seen beauty in this girl, and now that she was laced in the catalogue definition of beauty, Emily saw hardly any. "I just had to tell you that I'm not the Alison that you knew."

And now, Emily felt as though somebody had just stabbed her in the chest, only just sparing her heart. She hadn't said the exact words, but Emily knew what that meant. "Okay."

Alison looked away from Emily as she seemed to think even more about what to say. "Also… if you could refrain from sitting in my seat in English class, we would both avoid extra attention."

Because obviously, that would be an absolute crisis. "Of course," Emily forced out, knowing well that bitterness laced every word as she spoke it.

Emily felt no pity for this girl as another spark of hurt flashed over her expression, because Emily felt just as hurt. It wasn't either of their faults that Emily had moved away. No, it wasn't either of their faults that they hadn't spoken over the phone or even via an email for three years. And no, it wasn't their fault that they were now three years older and three years changed.

But it was Alison's fault that Emily felt like bringing up the past in this moment would be a crime. It was Alison's fault that they were hardly on speaking terms. It was only Alison's fault. Emily was just standing here with a knife in her chest, enduring what suffering Alison's words would condemn her to.

"And before you go…" Alison wet her lipstick covered lips lightly with her tongue, and Emily let herself hope for one last second that Alison would say something, _anything_, about their past together. "Please… don't call me Ali."

And just like that, the last of Emily's hope was torn out from within her as she felt Alison's figurative dagger jolt to the side, slicing open the last bit of Emily's fragile heart. Three years of missing a person could do something to you.

But coming back after three years only to be treated as if you had only met that person in passing a few times, that did something entirely different to a person.

And though Emily didn't like it at all, she forced herself to nod curtly at Alison. "Your wish is my command," she said sarcastically, giving Alison a final, bitter smile—probably the last smile the blonde would receive from her, she noted—before turning and leaving without another word.

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><p><strong>Ahh I know more angst and sadness! D: Just let it all out. "Tana, you are such an evil and conniving bitch. Why the hell are you messing with my Emison at the very beginning of a story?! % #!$$# #$^$% #$"<strong>

**Okay, now that we've gotten that out... please review or PM me your thoughts! I really would like to know what you guys think of this so far! C:**

**I have to go to schoooooooooool so have a great day my lovelies! Hoping to update WYRA tonight, but don't forget that I also have homework and an acting class tonight, so if it doesn't happen, you're not allowed to get mad at me ;)**

**Have a great day loves! Wish me luck getting through my Monday haha :P xxxxxxxxxxxxx Please review!**


	3. Three

**A/N: Promised an update, and here it is :) You're all lucky ducks, bc I feel like crap and I have such a horrible cold... but yeah, couldn't pass up an update :P Also... guess whaaaat! We're almost at 50 reviews already! (what the actual hell =DDD) So happy with the response to this fic! :D Remember that 50th reviewer gets a shoutout!**

**Oh damn I had something else to say what was it... Aw whateves...**

**I REMEMBERED! Do you like the cover I made for this story? Someone tweet me and remind me to post it on there so you all can get a better look at it :) :D**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…"_

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea."_

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside."_

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say._

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><p>The end of the day could not have come soon enough. Emily was finally free of the torturous first day that she'd been trapped in. Dealing with weird looks, trying to find a seat that wasn't already taken, or being saved, and trying not to think about her torn apart heart had practically driven her mad.<p>

Luckily, she only had the one class with Alison. Had there been another class with an awkward confrontation, she likely would've picked up and moved back to Texas by herself. The minute she thought such a thing, though, she felt absolutely depressed. Three years ago, moving was the worst thing that her controlling mother could ever have done to her, and yet now, she was wishing she could go back?

Her mother had been a coward three years ago. Emily was being a coward now.

She sped up her pace as she continued through the still bustling school and toward the pool. Everyone around her was rushing to and from their lockers, meeting up with friends to go out, and then there were the select few that were making out against lockers. Typical high school.

Emily wondered if she would be a part of that typical high school attitude here had she never moved. Had she stayed here with Alison, would they have never changed? Would Alison have never become this different, insensitive person?

Maybe Emily would have been able to tell Alison everything then. Maybe she would not be so cowardice now. Emily shivered as she realized what her mother had instilled in her over the past three years. She hadn't known that these new fears and doubts had arisen, but they had, and now that she knew, she felt her stomach twist up into smaller and smaller knots.

Finally, Emily came to the natatorium of the school. She entered bravely, her eyes immediately falling on the girls who were already in bathing suits, swimming laps. They all had excellent form, but they seemed to lack the raw capability of swimming with elegance and speed. Trying not to feel arrogant, Emily noted to herself that should the coach allow her to try out, she would definitely get a spot.

She padded across the natatorium and to the coach's office, a place she remembered well. She remembered the entire natatorium much better than the rest of the school. It had been one of her special places.

Knocking lightly on the office door, she waited to be called in. But the coach came up from behind her seconds later, "Fields?"

Emily turned and smiled. She was pleased to see that the same coach who taught three years ago was still here. Coach Fulton. She smiled pleasantly back at Emily. "Hi, Coach."

"I see you're back from down south," Fulton commented, stepping past Emily to unlock the door to her office.

"Yep," Emily replied, keeping enthusiasm in her voice, despite her hard first day back here. "And I'm ready to swim, Coach."

Fulton sat at her desk and started to go through some papers, leaving Emily standing awkwardly in the office, waiting for a response. "Well," Fulton finally started, drawing Emily's full attention, "you're certainly a good swimmer. And we would love to have you on the team."

Emily felt a negative coming on. "But?"

"But," Fulton began, "nothing. Do you still have your old swim suit?"

Emily couldn't help the smile that spread out over her face as easily as butter spread over bread. "Yes."

"Do you have it with you?"

"Always," Emily responded. "Do you want me to start today?"

"I want you starting as soon as possible, so yes," Fulton answered, nodding. "We have a good team this year, but with last year's seniors gone, some of these younger swimmers need an experienced swimmer to help show them the ropes. And you were an experienced swimmer even when you were a younger one. Did you swim in Texas?"

"Yes, ma'am," Emily answered, feeling utter joy in this moment. "And I've gotten much better. I think you'll be happy to have me back on the team."

"Of course I will be," Fulton agreed, shuffling through her papers. She found a small slip and handed it across the desk to Emily. "There's your new locker assignment. Get in there, get changed, and then get in the pool!"

"Yes, Coach," Emily said, grinning. And then her grin faltered slightly as she remembered the single dilemma she'd had about swimming. She met Fulton's eyes and took a shaky breath. "Um, Coach… is Alison DiLaurentis still on the team?"

Fulton narrowed her eyes somewhat as she shook her head ever so slightly. "As soon as you were gone, she was off the team. If you ask me, that girl never liked to swim."

"Of course she did, she was on the team here for a year, and the team in middle school for all three years," Emily argued, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. Fulton gave the senior a pointed look.

"Always looked to me like you loved swimming, and she loved swimming with you," Fulton stated. "Get into the water, Fields."

"Yes, Coach," Emily said, forcing a smile and then leaving the office. She headed straight for the locker room out of instinct, but she couldn't get Fulton's opinion on Alison out of her head. Had Alison really only ever swam because she wanted to be around Emily?

Emily wasn't really surprised, though. Alison and her had always been really close—that was until Emily's mom dragged her out of Pennsylvania three years ago. Emily shook her head slightly as she looked down at the paper slip and then proceeded to find her new locker.

Five minutes later, she climbed into the pool. She let herself feel the joy and stress relief that came with the pool for half a second, and then she began free styling down the lane she had just claimed. It was time to get back in the zone, in spite of such a bad day.

Alison hadn't thought about swimming since the end of freshmen year, when she told Coach Fulton that she would be quitting the team.

Despite what she had said to Emily earlier that day, Alison found herself thinking about Emily for every second of that afternoon. Some of her favorite memories of the two of them were in the pool, chasing each other underwater, or competing to see who could swim the fastest laps. But Alison's favorite pool memories were the ones where she stopped swimming and just watched Emily swim. No matter her stroke, or whether or not she was racing or practicing, Emily was always in a zone whenever she swam. Concentration filled her expression, power filled her limbs. She cut through water like a knife through butter. Alison had never tired of awing over such power.

It briefly occurred to Alison that Emily would likely be rejoining the swim team, and for a half of a second, she considered finding out when the first meet was. And then she realized how absurd that was. She wasn't that Alison anymore. She wasn't the Alison that liked to sit and watch Emily swim, not anymore. She had better things to do with her time now.

_Like what?_ her conscious asked her in a harsh voice. She tried to push away that taunting question as she sat herself down in the driver's seat of her car. She drove from the school without a second thought, and forced herself to think of anything but Emily as she drove.

Luckily, she made it home without thinking of even Emily's eyes, which she had used to think about twenty-four seven. She parked her car, rushed into her house, and locked herself in her room. She managed to ignore her mother's questioning calls—Alison was usually straight back out the door when she got home.

Today, though, she couldn't even remember if she'd had plans. As soon as she collapsed very unceremoniously onto her bed, Alison's mind was completely overtaken by thoughts of Emily. She tried to keep them at bay, but they flooded her entire being, and she let them lull her exhausted, emotionally worn out self into a dull sleep.

Emily tore herself out of her swim zone as she heard a whistle from across the natatorium. She stood herself upright in the pool, looking toward where Fulton stood. "Sharks! We have a new, old teammate rejoining us today. Some of you seniors may remember her. Whether you do or not, let's give a nice welcome to Emily Fields."

There were claps and cheers of welcome, especially coming from the seniors. Emily couldn't say that she remembered all of them from her freshman year, but then, she usually paid most of her attention to Alison during swim practice or swim meets. Maybe this would be her year to break free of a confinement that she had been in for so long, even after she was forced down to Texas.

"Great, hit the lockers! Optional practice in the mornings, mandatory in the afternoons. You all know the drill," Fulton called, before blowing her whistle once again and then padding out of the main area of the natatorium.

Emily pulled herself out of the pool and headed straight for the lockers. She stopped only when she was approached by somebody. "Hi, Emily, right?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Emily answered, sizing up this unknown swimmer. "You are…?"

"Paige," the girl answered, giving Emily a half smile. "I don't blame you for not remembering me, I don't remember you either."

Pleasant. Emily forced a small smile, and started for her locker again.

"Wait," Paige said, stopping Emily once again. "You're the girl who stood up to Alison DiLaurentis today, right?"

Emily blinked. That's how people were remembering her now? Great. "I didn't stand up to anyone," Emily argued. "I sat in her seat, and later, she discussed her rules with me, and it won't happen again."

"You know, I've always wondered where a girl like that could possibly come from," Paige commented. "What could happen to a girl to turn her into such a twisted psycho?"

That's when it hit Emily, as if she'd just run into her locker instead of stopping right in front of it. "I don't know," is what she forced out to Paige, but in her mind, everything was clicking. Alison hadn't just turned into this sham of a person for no reason. Emily was the reason, even if Alison had no idea. Emily left, and Alison became a shell.

On Easter, little kids hollow out eggshells and then paint them. Once an eggshell is emptied of its contents, the only real use for them is to paint them and set them out for people to see. Was that how Alison had felt after Emily left? If she had felt toward Emily the way that Emily had felt toward her, than it all made perfect sense. Alison was turned into a hollow shell, with nothing to fill her. The only way she could see to fix it was to dress herself up in a shiny coat.

That way, no one would be able to tell that she was hollow and empty. That way, she could sit outside in a little basket for everyone to see, gaping at the beauty of such a shell, but not really realizing that the only reason she was like that was because someone stole her of her purpose, her contents, three years earlier.

Emily felt her gut wrenching inside of her, even though she knew this wasn't at all her fault. She felt guilty, though, for not realizing sooner the cause for Alison's new persona. It took her only a second now, though, to understand that Alison didn't know how that she had done this to herself. To her, she was a new person. To Emily, she was an empty person.

Emily felt the need to help Alison rising inside of her, like an instinct. She knew, however, that she couldn't get close to Alison until one of them confronted the other about the past that they shared. The one that had earlier been so carelessly tossed aside by Alison herself.

Sighing, Emily grabbed her change of clothes, rushing to change so that she could get home. It'd been a emotionally, and physically, tiring day, and she just couldn't wait to sleep.

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><p><strong>That eggshell analogy totally made my life when I thought of it haha... Yay for easter eggs. Anyway, I know you're all feeling meh about the angst and stuff happening already, but I promise that eventually it will... or will sort of go away ahha... This might actually be one of my angstiest stories (1. yes I just said angstiest and 2. i know, that's not really saying much for me bc my angst stories are still like super fluffy lol)...<strong>

**Likee? Please review! Also please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! **

**Oh crap I told Sabrina i'd have this up in like literally 60 seconds.**

**Goodnight lovelies! Please review!**


	4. Four

**A/N: As you'll come to realize, this story isn't the fastest paced ever. And what I mean by that is that I just finished chapter 7 and it's still only Emily's 3rd day back at Rosewood High... sorry if it seems too slow like that. It'll probably pick up a little, but I'm pleased with how it's going so far :)**

**OMG! :D 57 reviews on 3 chapters?! Thank you all so much! I have a shoutout to give now... 50th reviewer was... badadadadada... user DiWeasley ! Thanks for reviewing lovely! You always review, and you definitely deserve that shoutout ;D Thank you all for reviewing though! You make me smile =D**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say._

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><p>"How was your first day back, dear?" Pam Fields wondered aloud as Emily walked into the house.<p>

"Fine," Emily answered, her eyes scanning the half unpacked living room she was standing in. She tried not to visibly sigh, because she knew that it would get a rise out of her mother about being positive about life. That was terribly ironic, considering how Emily's mother was the reason for everything negative in her life.

"Did you make any new friends?" Pam wondered innocently. Emily forced herself not to roll her eyes as she leaned against the old, wall-papered wall. She just wanted to go up to her room and sleep.

"Sure," Emily answered, "also, I'm on the swim team again."

"That's great, honey!" Pam exclaimed, a smile forming on her face. Emily forced a smile, nodding in agreement. She stood there a moment longer, hoping that her mother would ask the one question that she really wanted to know the answer to.

When she didn't receive it, she huffed and peeled herself away from the wall in order to start upstairs. Two steps up, though, her mother's voice stopped her. "Is… Is Alison DiLaurentis still on the swim team?"

Of course, the one concern that her mother would have. Though, it was close enough to the question that Emily had been expecting, so she forced herself to stay calm enough to answer it. "No," Emily answered. "You'd be happy, actually, mom. She's totally different. Barely even saved a glance for me."

A look of mixed emotions passed over Pam's face, and Emily didn't let it bother her. Her mother deserved to feel bad. "Emily… I—"

"No, don't try to tell me that you aren't happy about this, because I know that you are," Emily snapped, feeling her emotions bubbling up to her lips and spilling out without letting her brain even process them. "You took me away from her three years ago, but guess what, I'm not any different than I was three years ago. You're just so freaking lucky that she's different. So go ahead, gloat a little bit. You've already destroyed my mother daughter relationship to the maximum."

"Emily—" Emily couldn't hear the rest of what her mother had to say, though, because she was already upstairs and closing herself in her room. She was grateful that the room her mom had assigned her in this new house had a lock, which she clicked into place half heartedly. Then she tossed her backpack onto the floor and fell onto her neatly made bed. Forcing some of the covers up and over her, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her hours earlier than normal.

_Rosewood High Take Two, _Emily thought to herself as she pulled her car into a parking spot. She quickly ran through the comforting list that she had promptly made on her way to school. A list of things not to do today.

_Number one, avoid talking about Alison with Aria or Hanna—in fact, avoid talking to them as much as possible. They're not the crowd you want._

_Number two, stick with Spencer. She's cool. She'll support you._

_Number three, do not freaking sit in the middle of English class. If you want to ever talk to Alison about your past with her ever, pissing her off is not the way to do that._

_Number four, stop mentioning to people that you knew Alison once. More attention is not what you want right now._

Emily spent the minute it took to walk to the front entrance of the school from the parking lot to memorize her list. She wanted it to be etched into her mind in case she needed to recall anything in a matter of seconds.

Making lists was something that Emily liked to do. She could wrap her mind up in stress, but plucking away the things that were bothering her and laying out solutions to them in a careful list could almost always make her feel a million times better.

Unfortunately, as Emily tugged nervously on her backpack strap, she realized that this may be one of the few times where making lists didn't completely calm her down. In fact, trying to remember this short list was already making Emily even more stressed. Shaking her head, trying to ignore the fact that Alison could still do weird things to her head even now, Emily walked straight to physics. Her eyes immediately fell on a certain lively brunette and smiling blonde who were chattering to each other. Trying not to feel overwhelmed by their seemingly constant enthusiasm, Emily took her seat in between the two girls.

"Hey, Emily!" Hanna greeted. "How was your first day yesterday? I can't believe that we only have one class together. It sucks."

"Uh, yeah," Emily muttered, blinking and trying not to look completely confused and taken aback. "Um, it was okay."

"I heard that something went down between you and Alison… are you okay?" Aria asked, raising her eyebrows. "Sorry about that, I might have laid down the seating arrangements with you… I guess I was just hoping that you'd be one of the lucky ones."

Emily shrugged. "I'm fine."

"You can tell us, Em," Hanna insisted, nodding her head surely. "Alison is a bitch, and you don't have to be ashamed or embarrassed. She calls out a lot of people."

Shaking her head, Emily tried not to be frustrated at these girls who were just trying to be nice. "I'm seriously fine. I know the rules now. It won't happen again. No more drama."

Hanna's lips broke into a smile. "Well that's good to hear." Emily gave Hanna a smile of agreement, even though she almost wished that it would happen again. Not the whole situation, of course, but she wanted an excuse to talk to Alison. To try to get their history out in the open. The history, and everything that came with it. Everything.

Alison strode into her first period fifteen minutes late, receiving barely a glance from her teacher. Smiling slightly to herself, she avoided all eyes and started toward her seat, which was empty, as always.

Sitting down and taking out her government folder and lazily writing down what was directed on the board. Despite her lack of care for school, she didn't want to stay in small town Rosewood forever. Sure, it was prestigious, but she didn't want to be a prestigious Rosewood girl. That only said things to the Rosewood population, and maybe part of the Philadelphia population. No, she wanted to be prestigious in places where it counted. And that meant doing school work.

It wasn't until the bell to dismiss first period rang out that Alison realized that she would see Emily today. She couldn't constantly skip English class just because Emily was in it. At least she had made her points across to Emily, though. That was the important part. Emily understood where the two of them stood now.

A tugging thought pulled at Alison's heart strings, though, and she tried so hard to ignore it as she parted the crowds in the hallways on her way to second period. It started to tug harder though, and Alison made a detour into the nearest bathroom, where she said in a harsh voice, "_Out_."

The three girls standing at the sinks immediately left, and a girl in one of the stalls quickly flushed, and ran out of the bathroom, her underwear half hanging out of her pants still. As soon as the place was empty, Alison turned and looked at herself in the mirrors. She had lines in her face from glaring. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her face completely.

Why were those lines still there? They were almost indented into her face even when she was completely relaxing it. Did she really glare that much? The thought brought a scowl to her face, and it deepened the same creases in her face.

Staring at herself intently, she decided to try something. She wiped her scowl off and turned her lips up into a smile. The expression was almost foreign to Alison, though. She didn't smile much. She didn't smile enough, actually. It felt good to smile instead of frown for once.

And then that tugging thought yanked on her heart and mind all at once, overwhelming her. She didn't _want_ to be on these terms that she had set up. Almost every ounce of her body wanted to give in, to talk to Emily again, to be friends again… She wanted to have _her Emily_ back.

The remaining small bit of herself, though, that was too proud to give in, made her get herself together, and she let her smile drop from her face. She couldn't have Emily. Not as a friend… not as anything.

During second period, Alison managed to mostly prepare herself for walking into English class and seeing Emily. She wouldn't make eye contact. She wouldn't say a word to her. Nothing. She would glare at anyone giving her curious looks. She would do anything to keep her from giving in.

She managed to even walk into English with every ounce of confidence possible. Her eyes fell on the empty middle seat, and she avoided everything else as she took a step toward it.

"Miss DiLaurentis," came Mr. Fitz's voice, stopping the blonde in her tracks.

Alison cocked an eyebrow as she looked at Mr. Fitz questioningly. He seemed to be waiting for something from her, and it took her only half of a second to realize that he was holding a paper to her. She took it and only had to glance at it before her face contorted into a glare.

Her eyebrows pinched and eyes narrowed, she looked up at Mr. Fitz. "Detention? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Your teacher," Mr. Fitz answered confidently. "And you ditched class yesterday. School policy says you get a detention. Today after school, or it doubles."

"I'm not going to detention. It was one class period," Alison growled.

"Coach Fulton is running detention today. I'm sure she'll have things to keep you busy if you don't want to sit silently in a desk for an hour," Mr. Fitz stated, finalizing the situation.

Alison hardened her glare as she held the piece of paper in between her pointer finger and thumb, heading to her seat. As she sat down, not even looking around to see where Emily was sitting, she realized suddenly that Coach Fulton was the swim coach, and that after school was swim practice.

And who was going to undoubtedly be at swim practice? Emily.

Emily had managed to get to third period fast enough to get a comfortable seat in the back of the classroom. She hadn't been able to hear the conversation between Alison and Mr. Fitz, other than the fact that Alison had a detention for skipping class the previous day. When Alison started to her seat, though, Emily hoped and hoped that the blonde would catch her eye. Unfortunately, the girl seemed too wrapped up in her thoughts to look anything but the seat. _Maybe detention is a big detriment to her reputation_, Emily thought bitterly.

Despite her still steadfast anger at Alison for ignoring her and ignoring their history together, Emily found herself staring longingly, sadly, at the back of Alison's head. Her hair seemed so familiar, and yet so foreign to Emily. It used so fall loosely, but Emily had always thought it was definitely made up of the locks of angels, if they existed. Now, though, the unfaltering consistency of the loops and curls in her hair felt too systematic and perfect. A representation of Alison's seemingly consistent, bitch reputation. She wasn't used to spontaneity anymore. Maybe that's why yesterday had thrown her off. Maybe it wasn't even really because of Emily. Maybe it was just because things weren't falling into a perfect place like normal.

Emily didn't even catch a single word of what Mr. Fitz said during that class period, and when the bell rang, it took her a few seconds to even realize that it had. She quickly grabbed her bag and hopped out of her desk, filing through the people to try and hurry out of the room before Alison.

Nobody had the urge to stay in that classroom, though, and in the rush to escape, someone accidentally, or perhaps purposely, shoved Emily into Alison.

The harsh snap that came from Alison's lips afterward felt like a slap across Emily's face. "Watch where you're going, asshole!" Emily felt her eyes narrow at Alison, who finally looked at who had been rammed into her. A faraway expression appeared on her face for half of a moment, as if there were some sort of regret forming from what she had just said. But Emily got no apology as Alison shook her head and shoved her way through the people. "Get out of my way!"

Emily ended up the last one out of the classroom, and she heaved a depressed sigh as she approached her government class. Maybe things would start to feel normal. Maybe she would never have closure with Alison, and she would learn to accept it.

She tried not to laugh at the ridiculousness of that thought, though, as she entered her fourth period. A certain Spencer Hastings sat studiously at her desk, scribbling down the warm up that was projected on the board. Emily let herself smile a little bit as she approached her desk and set down her bag next to it.

"Hey, Spencer," Emily greeted.

"Oh, hey there, Emily. How was swim yesterday? I mean, like, did you get back on the team?" Spencer wondered, a nice smile spread onto her face.

"Yep, Coach Fulton seems happy to have me back," Emily answered, nodding.

"I'll have to come check you out at a meet, then, because Coach Fulton is rarely really excited about anybody, or so I've heard," Spencer commented, giving Emily a grin. "Congrats!"

"Thanks," Emily chimed. "I feel kind of bad, because I don't remember any of the seniors on the team still."

"Really?" Spencer asked, tilting her head. "But they were your team."

"Yeah, I don't know," Emily said, shrugging, even though she had an excuse. She was always watching Alison at swim practice. She had never really stopped paying attention to her. "But I plan to know everyone this year. I think it's going to be a good swim season."

"Seriously, let me know when your first meet is. I want to go," Spencer said, smiling. "Oh wait, is that girl Paige on the team?"

"Yeah, why?" Emily asked, her eyebrows instinctively furrowing. The way Spencer said Paige's name with disgust had her curious now.

"Oh, just if she sees me there, she's going to piss her pants," Spencer said, shrugging. "She did field hockey with me last year, and I creamed her everyday. Lucky for her, a few months into the year, swim and field hockey practices started to overlap and she had to pick one. She hates me now, though."

Emily felt her shoulders rise up in a shrug. "She seems okay."

Spencer just shrugged in response, and then their teacher began to yammer about the lesson for the day, and Emily focused all of her energy in hopes of not thinking about Alison for even half of a second.

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><p><strong>Oooh ooh ooh :) What do you guys think is going to happen when Alison is in detention? :D :D :D<strong>

**Likee? Please let me know in a quick review or a PM! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this and I'll follow you back ;-D :o)**

**Had a doctor's appointment today, and they gave me a flu shot and drew some of my blood D: My poor arm is so sore now haha... Okay yeah that was random but eh.**

**Have to finish some schoolwork that I forgot about until right now, and then I'm going to take a shower and head to bed... soooo...**

**Goodnight lovelies! Please review c: =D**


	5. Five

**A/N: Time for some perspective action! Yay! Lol... um... what I meant by that was that I'm going to tell you how long my doc for this story is so far haha... For the 9 chapters that I've finished, not including an A/Ns, my entire doc is 20,903 words =D woohoo! Furthermore, in Chapter One of this story, the opening flashback was just 48 words. Here in this chapter, it's 171 words. In Chapter 9, it is 368 words :D It may not seem like much of an increase, but I'm really happy with how it's coming. Eventually, it will reveal much c=**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now?_

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist?_

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say._

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><p>"Are you okay?" Spencer asked Emily suddenly, breaking the other brunette out of her daze. Emily nodded immediately.<p>

"Yes," she promised, shrugging. "It's just… I don't know. Weird being back here."

"Well, you keep zoning out, and it's like I'm eating lunch alone again," Spencer stated pointedly, taking a bite of her food. Emily gave the girl an apologetic smile as she shoved some salad into her mouth with her fork. She was completely aware of her continual zoning out. It was Alison's fault, of course, because that blonde would not leave Emily's mind alone. "Did you hear that Alison DiLaurentis got a detention today?" Spencer asked, smirking.

Emily forced herself to shake her head rather than nod. She didn't want Spencer to think that Emily was keeping tabs on Alison. "What'd she do?"

"Ditched English yesterday, because you sat in her seat right?" Spencer asked, getting a nod out of Emily.

"I thought the whole school bowed down to her," Emily commented, now just playing her fork through her salad as if it were a soup. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"Mr. Fitz is a good teacher. He can see through the falsity of a girl like Alison," Spencer commented, shrugging. "I feel sorry for all of the girls on the swim team."

Now, Spencer had Emily's full attention. "What? Why?"

Spencer quirked up an eyebrow at the intensity of which Emily had spoken. "Coach Fulton is running detention today. She usually puts the kids in detention to work since she has to watch you all swim and can't watch the kids to make sure they're sitting still and silently."

Emily's heart clenched, and then just as it relaxed, it dropped into her stomach. Alison was going to be in the natatorium today? Emily wasn't ready for that.

But on the other hand, she accidentally recalled the times in the natatorium where Alison could not keep her piercing blue eyes off of Emily. Would Alison accidentally get caught up in the past and do that again? Emily couldn't help but hope with every ounce of her will that Alison would at least notice her.

"Emily," Spencer snapped. "What is with you? Is this about Alison and what happened yesterday? Don't worry about it, she doesn't have time to waste on people like us."

Emily let out a sigh. "It's… not about what happened yesterday. At least… not the thing about the seat in English."

"What else happened yesterday?" Spencer asked, an expectant look etched onto her face.

Emily was seriously seconds away from telling Spencer everything when Paige suddenly approached them. "Hey, Emily. Hi, Spencer."

Spencer pursed her lips at the ferocity in Paige's greeting toward her, but Emily just forced a smile. "Hi, Paige."

"I just wanted to talk to you, because I realized that identifying you as the girl who stood up to Alison probably wasn't my best move ever," Paige stated, sounding really guilty. "I looked up your stats from when you went here in freshman year. Don't know how I don't remember you. You kicked ass."

"I stayed sort of low," Emily answered in explanation.

"Well, I just wanted to say welcome to the team officially," Paige finished, giving Emily a really wide smile and then turning and heading off.

"She's gunning for captain," Spencer stated, getting Emily to look over at her.

"What?"

"Paige. She's trying to get on the swim team's good side to make captain," Spencer answered.

Emily set her jaw in place. Captain was always a spot that she had wanted, but as a freshman, she hadn't been able to make the cut. Now, though, she was determined. Without someone like Alison on the swim team, Emily had no distractions, and so this year was all about the scores. All about the scores and about the status. Starting with making captain. "Do you know when they vote?"

"Friday, I think," Spencer answered, seeming to carefully observe Emily's face. "If you're interested in that spot, you've got three and a half days to campaign."

There were few things that Emily felt completely and infallibly confident in. Swimming was one of them. Emily knew that she would beat Paige in every timed lap, every competition. She would fight for the top spot. "I don't think campaigning is what I need to do."

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"They just need to see me swim," Emily stated surely. "And, of course, I'm not going to buy their votes by kissing their asses."

Spencer raised her eyebrows, but she smiled proudly. "You know, I think we're going to be good friends, Emily."

Emily laughed and nodded in agreement.

But as soon as the bell for fifth period rang, and Emily and Spencer went their separate ways, Emily found her mind overtaken by thoughts of Alison being in the natatorium. It was almost so bad that Emily began to consider skipping practice that day. However, she knew how bad that would look to Alison, to everyone. She couldn't afford to do that, especially now that she was gunning for captain against Paige, who was clearly really after the spot.

Nothing could stop her nerves, though, and throughout the day, she found herself continuously clicking her pen or tapping her fingers rhythmically on the her desk. By the time the last bell rang, she was sure that she wouldn't be able to swim without vomiting.

Despite herself, she somehow made it to the school's natatorium and found herself changing into her bathing suit. Once she was swim ready, she didn't hesitate to get in the pool and start laps until the official time for practice began.

Emily got herself into her swim zone relatively quickly, and she didn't even notice that almost everyone else on the team was just watching her lap back and forth. When she finally stopped, though, she blinked, looking around at the team.

"Fields, right?" one of the girls asked. Emily nodded, still trying to catch her breath as she clung to the wall of the pool. "Are you going for captain?"

And there it was. "Yeah, I really want to be captain."

Emily's eyes involuntarily fell on a redheaded Paige, who wore a glare instead of an impressed look like the other girls. Emily just flashed her a smile. She had no reason to hate Paige, and she wasn't going to be flat out mean to her just because Paige had a problem. Emily wasn't that kind of person.

"What's your freestyle time, Fields?" someone else asked, and Emily smiled, giving the girl her fastest freestyle time from Texas. She really had gotten much better since her freshman year, and she was ready to kick some really serious ass.

And then everyone's heads turned suddenly to face the entrance of the natatorium, where a pretty and prepped Alison DiLaurentis clicked her way into the building in her six inch heels. Her eyes were trained perfectly on the office door—where Coach Fulton still was. She completely ignored the girls.

And then Paige, who Emily had already established as not the greatest person ever, called to her, "Here to see us all in our swim suits?"

Emily's brain screamed. _What the hell kind of joke is that?_ Emily asked herself.

Now, Alison turned to look at the entire swim team gathered in the pool. "Say something like that to me again, _Pigskin_, and you can say goodbye to whatever social life you have left after _last year_."

Paige scowled up at the blonde. "One day you're going to get what's coming to you, Alison."

"Really? Well, when that day comes, please let me know so when nothing comes for me, I can remind you yet again who is in charge here," Alison snapped. Emily's eyes narrowed into a harsh glare, something that she would never have previously directed at Alison.

Alison noticed the glare, and Emily could see the blonde clenching her jaw. Then, she was gone, storming over to Fulton's office.

Fulton gave her some task to do in the office and then came out to direct practice. Emily did her best to ignore the fact that Alison was so close as they all practiced relays. The proximity did stress her out some, though, so she pushed herself harder and harder while she swam.

She made it through the full hour without doing anything stupid, and she was relieved as she walked back into the locker room to change. She let herself feel calm for the first time all day. She was back in dry clothes, ready to walk home and be away from the hellhole that was school. Away from this demon of a person who she could no longer recognize. Away from Alison.

Hoisting her backpack up, she left the locker room and started out of the natatorium.

To her utter surprise, though, she saw Alison leaning against the brick wall of the school natatorium, seemingly waiting for someone. Emily forced herself to assume it wasn't her, and kept walking. But Alison called out to her. "Emily!"

Emily froze in place. There was a time when Alison's voice only brought her comfort and warmth, but that time was long since past. Over the past two days, Emily had learned to not expect anything comforting from Alison's voice. Taking a deep breath, Emily forced herself to turn around and face the blonde. "Alison," she said curtly, hoping her nervousness wasn't incredibly evident like she felt it must be.

"Can I talk to you?" Alison wondered, her voice not as abrupt and angry sounding as it did when she was snapping at Paige earlier.

"I guess so," Emily answered, tightening her grip on her backpack strap.

"I wanted to apologize. For uh, snapping at you earlier," Alison admitted, her monotone voice a gift after the sharp tone from earlier. Though, Emily longed to hear the soothing tone she had once found herself constantly embraced by.

Despite the lack of viciousness in Alison's tone, Emily found herself snapping at the blonde. "Oh, but shouldn't the _asshole_ be apologizing to you?"

Alison didn't look fazed at all, as if she'd been expecting that exact response. Suddenly, Emily felt guilt consume her, because Alison had been expecting something harsh from her. That never would have happened three years ago. "Em, I—"

"Don't call me Em," Emily snapped, though it pained her to say that. "We're not friends, remember? No Ali, no Em."

Alison nodded, visibly swallowing. "Sorry. Anyway, I didn't know it was you earlier. I wouldn't have called you an asshole."

Emily rolled her eyes. "As if that makes it any better?"

"I'm trying to apologize, Emily!" Alison exclaimed, raising her voice so that it was louder than Emily's.

"Well you have a lot more to apologize for than that," Emily growled. Blue eyes narrowed.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Alison snapped. "Please, enlighten me, Emily!"

"For… becoming this sham of a person!" Emily exclaimed, gesturing to Alison's entire person.

"Oh please, let me apologize to you for growing up!" Alison shouted. "I am so sorry that I'm not a little girl anymore, and that I want to wear some makeup, and some heels, and not be treated like a kid!"

"You're right, Alison, you're not being treated like a kid anymore," Emily agreed, "but the fact is, you're not even being treated like a person! You're being treated like a freaking goddess by people who don't even know you! It's pathetic!"

"Pathetic?" Alison demanded, and for the first time, hurt flashed across her face, and Emily felt her heart start to crack under this pressure. "Look, Emily, I did what I had to do to survive, alright? I forced myself to grow up and become the person I'm supposed to be."

"You're not supposed to be this person, Alison," Emily argued, and she knew that this was the moment she had to use to specifically say something about their past. "You're supposed to be the person I knew three years ago. That's who you are."

Alison stood frozen, or almost completely frozen. Her middle finger was tapping against her thumb at a crazy speed. She couldn't remember the last time that she had been nervous enough to do that. It was a horrible habit that she'd had when she was younger, when she hated attention because any attention directed toward her was bad.

"Alison…"

Alison shook her head furiously, because no, she wasn't going to let Emily do this to her. "Emily, I'm not your Alison anymore. You're not my Emily anymore. We both just need to accept that and move on, because the longer we pretend like there's still a possibility of everything being all fine and dandy, the longer we're stuck in this figment of our imagination, a world where everything is happy. I'm changed, deal with it. I just wanted to apologize for calling you an asshole."

Feeling slightly more put together, Alison stilled her fingers and walked right past Emily and toward her car. She heard Emily call, "It's hard to accept something like that when you're still treating me better than everyone else. If you really want me to forget that we were ever close, you better start acting like it."

A challenge. Emily didn't think that Alison could be mean to her.

The proud part of Alison was ready to show Emily that she didn't have as big a soft spot for Emily as she used to.

The majority of Alison agreed with Emily. It didn't think that Alison could be mean to her.

* * *

><p><strong>Is it just me, or does Alison seem very conflicted? :P<strong>

**Like? Love? Hate? Please let me know in a quick review! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this and I shall FOLLOW YOU BACK c: Just to make that clear... I do not follow you back unless you're following me lol... hence the term "follow BACK"... also, if you want that follow back, you literally have to tell me that you read this. And I just say this because lately this one account keeps asking for a follow back from me and I keep just not answering bc I don't have anything in common with the account and idk if they're a reader or what... ya know. So yeah. Lol...**

**TVD SPOILER ALERT. **

**OH MY GOD IF ANY OF YOU WATCHED TVD TONIGHT PLEASE CRY WITH ME. THE WHOLE EPISODE HAD MY EMOTIONS EVERYWHERE AND WHEN ELENA WAS BREAKING DOWN I LITERALLY STARTED CRYING. AND AT THE END OF THE EPISODE I STARTED TO YELL AT MY TV. I'M DYING. SERIOUSLY. DREADING NEXT WEEK. MY FREAKING DELENA HAS BEEN TORN FROM MY HEART.**

**For those of you who don't watch TVD or ship Delena... let me just say that if you think shipping Emison is hard (which obviously it is, and I would know) trust me when I say that shipping Delena is ten times as hard. Okay. In seasons 4-5 and now 6, almost every single episode of TVD has managed to tear out my heart and shred it into pieces. -.- Today especially. Ugh.**

**Ummmm do I have anything interesting to say... umm... nope TVD was my interesting thing today. Still recovering from my cold. Wish me luck with that haha..**

**Goodnight lovelies! Please review c:**

**P.S. you're all perfect in unusual ways. c;**


	6. Six

**A/N: It's getting late, and I'm tired, so I haven't got much fluffy stuff to stay up here. All I got is that I'm so grateful for all of your reviews c: 100th reviewer gets a shoutout, don't forget c;**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now?_

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist?_

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say._

* * *

><p>Emily screamed furiously into her pillow as soon as she was home and in her room. After taking a couple breaths, she screamed into it again. There was a gentle knock on her door, and then it opened. Emily immediately sat up and looked to the entrance of her room, where her mom stood, looking at her with a worried expression. "Are you alright, dear? Was swim practice okay?"<p>

"Stop!" Emily exclaimed, completely and utterly exasperated. "Stop acting like you don't know what's making me upset, mom!"

"Sweetie, I—"

"Stop!" Emily pleaded again. "Stop it! I can't freaking deal with this! Everything that's happened is your fault! You're the one that did this to me, mom!"

"I did what was best for you, taking you away from that girl," Pam seethed.

"It didn't change anything, mom, except that it made me hate you and ruined both mine and Alison's lives!" Emily exclaimed. "I'm still just as gay as I was before! And whether or not she thinks so, so is Alison! I don't know what's going to happen with me and Alison, but I know that one day I'm going to have a girlfriend, and you're going to have to freaking suck it up and realize that this world is a whole lot bigger than you and your bigotry."

"Emily!" Pam snapped, but the younger girl had already grabbed her phone and pushed past her mom to leave the room. She left the house completely within a few seconds, retrieved her bike from her garage and began peddling as fast as she could away from her house. She didn't even know where it was she was going until she got there.

Alison's house. She found herself perched on her bike in front of the house next to it, just watching. There seemed to be no activity happening over there. Emily realized that Alison's brother must have moved out by now, and her dad was probably nowhere to be found. He and Alison's mom had already been living in different places when Emily was forced to Texas.

"Emily?" came a familiar, but somewhat soothing voice. Emily turned her head toward the house she was in front of to see Spencer coming out through the gate. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you live here?" Emily asked, completely taken aback. She used to practically live at Alison's house, and she had no recollection of Spencer. Not ever.

"Yeah," Spencer answered, stopping next to Emily's bike. "Are you okay? You look really… freaked."

"I'm… I got into a fight with my mom and I just started um… biking in a random direction. Guess I'm here now… uh, wherever here is." Emily swallowed thickly, hoping that Spencer didn't see through the lie.

But Spencer had already proven herself to be a relatively smart girl, and she proved it once again as she raised an eyebrow at Emily. "Really? Don't tell me that it had nothing to do with the fact that Alison lives right there."

"Does she?" Emily asked weakly, but it was too late to fool Spencer now.

Suddenly, a door next door slammed shut, and Emily and Spencer both looked over to the DiLaurentis house. Alison was clicking her way out of the house in her tall heels—different ones than she'd been wearing in school. As she unlocked her car door, her gaze drifted to Spencer's front yard, and her eyes stopped on Emily.

Emily huffed, getting off her bike. "Can I come inside? Please, so that she doesn't think I was here to stalk her?"

"Uh, sure," Spencer answered. Emily wheeled her bike up to the gate to Spencer's house, but she made the mistake of looking back at Alison's driveway. The girl was still just watching Emily, but they were too far apart for Emily to really tell what Alison was thinking.

"Thanks," Emily said to Spencer once she was inside.

"Are you going to tell me what else happened between you and Alison yesterday?" Spencer questioned, giving Emily a pointed look.

Emily shrugged. "I guess so. Nobody… really knows, though. So…"

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," Spencer promised, leading Emily into a kitchen and pouring a mug of coffee. She offered some to Emily, but she politely declined.

"Alright, well… where to start… I actually met Alison in fifth grade," Emily admitted. "We got like… really close over the years. And… well, I don't know, my parents dragged me to Texas for three years and I didn't really talk to Alison at all the whole time. And yesterday, she basically told me that she doesn't want to have any memory of being my um… friend."

Spencer rolled her eyes. "Okay, first of all, you're horrible at hiding things. The only reason I'm going to say this is because I'm like ninety nine percent sure that I'm right, but come on, Emily. You're totally like… into her."

Emily just released a long sigh. "Yeah."

Spencer blinked, as if she'd actually been expecting to be wrong despite herself. "Really? Is that why you guys like… stopped talking?"

"No," Emily answered, shaking her head. "It wasn't like what you think. Alison liked me just as much, at least I hope, as I liked her. We were… sort of like… together. Nobody knew, though. Her mom caught us together once, but she was totally cool with us being who we were. It wasn't until my mom caught us together that shit when down. I ran away from my house, and of course I went to Ali's house. And… well… they took me to Texas. They deleted all of my social network accounts, took away my phone. They basically gave me no way to contact Alison. They even checked to make sure that I didn't send any mail, and they opened and read anything that came in the mail for me to make sure it wasn't from her."

"Oh my gosh," Spencer muttered, her eyes wide. "That's… horrible."

"My dad got sent overseas again, though, and the lease on our house was up in Texas, so we came back here. I wasn't really expecting things to be the same but… I wasn't expecting Alison to have turned into the girl walking higher than anyone else. Today she called me an asshole, and then later tried to apologize for it, and then she made sure to remind me that things are never going back to the way they were," Emily said bitterly, rolling her eyes. "What she doesn't realize is that she's not a different person. She's the same person as she was years ago, just dressed up in a fake persona that she created simply because it hurt to much to be herself without me."

Spencer just looked at Emily.

"And don't think that it sounds like I'm conceited when I say that. I'm being completely serious," Emily stated, shaking her head slightly.

"No, I know," Spencer said, nodding. "I just… can't imagine Alison as anything other than what she is now."

Emily nodded sadly. "She used to be the swim team with me. Coach Fulton thinks that she was only on it because of me. She quit after I left."

"Do you still like her?" Spencer asked. "Even after her becoming such a bitch?"

Emily bit her bottom lip. "I don't know how I feel anymore."

Alison found herself pulling over as soon as it started down pouring outside. Autumn had officially arrived. Normally, she would have just continued home from the mall whether or not it was raining, but the drops of water came down like tears. They summoned her own tears.

So she sat in her car, on the side of the road, as heavy tears fell from her eyes. She never bought waterproof makeup, because Alison DiLaurentis didn't cry, not ever.

Not since two and a half years ago, and not until now.

She felt absolutely ashamed of herself. Nobody questioned her, nobody stood up to her. But people didn't like her. People hated her. Alison knew that, but it didn't bother her until right now. She recalled Paige's snap at her in that natatorium, which was completely legitimate. Someone, two years ago, had started a vicious rumor that Alison liked girls. And, like the proud bitch she had become, she denied it furiously.

What really killed her today, though, was the glare she received from Emily. The glare filled with disappointment, anger, and, worst of all, knowing. Emily _knew_ who Alison really was… or who Alison had been.

Alison let out a shrill scream of frustration. She was fighting a horrible war within herself, she could feel it, but she didn't know which side she wanted to win. She had worked so hard to get herself up here at the top, where she could feel powerful. But every time she thought about her times with Emily in freshman year and before, she no longer lusted for power.

Her tears turned to sobs as she tried to force herself to stop crying. Once she finally managed to stop, she took out a little mirror and wiped away the mascara stained tears. They left black smudges on her face, and it was impossible to remove them right now. Giving in, she tossed the mirror back into her purse and decided that she would just leave them until she got home.

As she began to drive again, a horrible understanding came to her mind.

Alison DiLaurentis hated herself.

The only dilemma she came to was that she didn't know which side of herself she hated. The side that was desperate to speak to Emily again, or the side that strived to prove that she could live without Emily or without anyone by her side.

When she got home and ascended the stairs to her room, she sat down in front of her vanity and slowly wiped her makeup off of her face with a makeup wipe. By the time all of it was off, the wipe was completely black and brown from the makeup.

Her now vacant looking eyes scanned over her face in the mirror. She was pretty without makeup. Why did she wear so much?

Pushing aside the thought, she found herself going into the bathroom to take a shower and wash all of the product out of her hair. It took nearly twenty minutes.

By the time she was dressed in a simple tank top and shorts, she looked like a totally different person. She stared at herself in the still foggy bathroom mirror, looking over her body. She was thin, but not too thin. Her face was pretty, but it wasn't perfect. Her hair, still damp, fell in messy, loose, comfortable curls.

Her gut wrenched almost painfully inside of her as she made a realization. She didn't hate this part of her. She loved this part of her, the part that could look at herself without anything fake on and accept it all. Her throat clenched as she felt tears reaching her eyes. Why was this happening to her? She felt like this was how she was supposed to be, but she felt something big still missing.

She did her best to ignore whatever was nagging at her as she stared into the mirror. She wanted to stop pretending to be perfect. She wanted to stop having pressure from so many people. She didn't want to be that person anymore. And why didn't she? Because of Emily. Because of that glare, because of those truthful words that she had denied, because of the angry huff that Alison could hear whenever Emily was with that Spencer girl.

Because she could deny it all she wanted, but the truth was that she was still the same person she was three years ago.

And that person was tired of being suffocated by the layers of hairspray and mascara.

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><p><strong>Oooh oooh which side of Alison's war do you think is going to win in the next chapter? c:<strong>

**Please let me know what you guys think in a quick review or a PM! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana !**

**I'll be gone for a lot of tomorrow, and I probably won't be tweeting either. I may or may not update this tomorrow night, though. I need to update WYRA too... and ofc I still need to work on IDDA and SOWK... lol why do I do this to myself?**

**Goodnight lovelies. Please review c:**


	7. Seven

**A/N: Hey hey hey everyone! Sorry for the bit of a delay! I've been absolutely swamped with schoolwork and such. Didn't even get to watch TVD yet :( Might have to watch it tomorrow D:**

**On the bright side, I have a shoutout to give... the 100th reviewer was... badadada... guest pietersegirl *cough cough* Coralie *cough cough*... hehe c: Love u gurl c; :D Thank you all so much for reviewing! Your reviews are all so sweet and I'm so glad you are liking this story :D**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! :D**

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><p>"<em>What<em>_ the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now?_

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist?_

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever._

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><p>Emily's eyes flickered open as a groan escaped her lips. Where was she? Whatever she was laying on was incredibly uncomfortable, and it couldn't be good for her back. It took her a second to look around and recognize that she was in Spencer's bedroom, sleeping on her big, red chair by the window. It was comfy when she was sitting in it the day before, but now, it was just painful.<p>

Adjusting herself so that she didn't feel like a giant pretzel, Emily glanced over at the bed. Spencer was still asleep, sprawled under the comforter. It was still sort of dark outside, giving Emily the impression that she was up earlier than normal, probably because of her uncomfortable position.

She was still wearing the same clothes as she had been the previous day when she had accidentally and furiously biked her way through two neighborhoods to get to this cul-de-sac. After Emily had told Spencer about the Alison thing and then briefly described the fight she got into with her mom, the other girl was happy to lend her the red chair in her room. Emily was actually really appreciative of that, because she'd had no desire to go back to her mom.

Now, though, it occurred to Emily that she had nothing to wear here, and she also didn't have any of her makeup or anything. Briefly considering biking back to her house, Emily tried to imagine walking in this early in the morning. Her mom would probably be listening for her and would flip out. They would end up picking up from where they left off.

Emily sat up completely on the chair and looked out the window. It took her a second to realize that across Spencer's backyard, she could see Alison's bedroom window. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the light flicker on. She caught no glimpse of the blonde, though, and she tried not to let it bother her.

As Spencer stirred in her bed, Emily glanced over there. The other brunette sat up with a groan. "What time is it?"

"I don't know," Emily answered.

Spencer dragged herself up and out of her bed and went to look out the window by Emily. "Why is she up so early? Geez."

Emily just shrugged, looking back out the window and across the yard at the window and the dull yellow light emanating from it. "Hey, thanks for letting me sleep over, Spencer."

Spencer shrugged. "No problem. Do you need clothes or something? Or are you going back to your place?"

Emily pursed her lips, the pros and cons of going back to her house flashing through her mind. "Um, clothes would be nice."

Spencer gave Emily a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, I've been in fights with my parents before. I totally get it." She went to her closet doors and swung them open. Emily just watched silently as the other girl shuffled through the clothing hanging neatly on hangers. She finally pulled off a t-shirt and then retrieved some shorts from a shelf. Tossing them at Emily, she questioned, "These work?"

"Yes!" Emily answered gratefully. "Thanks! Where's your bathroom?"

Alison had no idea why she was up so early. She would've thought that after such an emotional day, she would have overslept by accident. Of course lately, though, the universe seemed to be against her.

After turning on her light, Alison found herself staring into her vanity mirror for a good ten minutes. Despite what had felt like the end of a war with herself the previous night, it seemed that that had been not the war, but simply a single battle. She couldn't bring herself to leave her house without looking perfectly primped, despite how badly another part of herself wished that she could.

She spent just as long as she normally did practically painting on her makeup, and then curling her hair to perfection, finishing it all with excessive hairspray and perfume. Then she slipped into a fashionable outfit, one that was probably considered less fabulous than most of her other ones, and then she found herself staring at shoes. She had ten pairs of six inch heels, four pairs of four inch heels, and a good six pairs of three inch heels. Her eyes fell first on the tall ones, but as she fought herself internally, she forced herself to retrieve a pair of three inch heels. Slipping her feet inside of them, she let out a sigh of relief. It felt good not to be so freakishly tall.

Deciding that she would grab breakfast at the Brew rather than eat whatever boring food her mom had here, Alison found herself leaving her house at the same time as most people would be leaving for actual school. She walked outside to her car, and the sound of a car engine turning on made her turn her head to Spencer's house.

Despite some things that had happened in the past, Alison didn't really have any reason to dislike Spencer. They had spoken a few times, and they hadn't always been good times, but Alison had never really hated her.

That was, until she noticed that Emily was in the car with Spencer as she pulled out of the driveway, and that Emily's bike was still laying sprawled on the grass where it had been dropped the day before. Emily had been back in Rosewood for two days, and she was already having friendly sleepovers?

Alison felt something like rage developing in her chest, but it took her a second to realize that it actually wasn't rage, but rather a flare of jealousy. She couldn't help it as her mind recalled some of the sleepovers that she and Emily had had years before. The idea of Emily sleeping over at anyone else's house made Alison feel horrible.

For a second, it occurred to Alison that Emily may have slept over at Spencer's simply to make Alison feel this way. She quickly cast that thought aside, though, because she knew Emily better than that. She knew that she would never do something like that.

But whether or not she meant to do it or not, Alison still felt terrible.

"Hey, Emily!" Aria called as soon as the brunette walked into first period. "How are you?"

Emily would have forced a smile and told Aria that she was perfectly fine, but to be truthful, she wasn't. While she was getting ready that morning and then while Spencer was driving her to school, she realized how deep in shit she actually was. Her mother was pissed at her, and her usually more understanding father was overseas. Her once best friend, and possibly more than friend, would hardly even look at her. Not only that, but she had a feeling that the Paige girl she was competing against for swim team captain was going to be all over her for running.

Not to mention, she wasn't sure how she was going to get home today. Since field hockey practice ran for an extra hour longer than swim, Spencer driving her wasn't an option. Her bike was still at Spencer's house, and walking to either her house or Spencer's would take a good hour or so, maybe even more. She was trying not to worry about it too much. Maybe one of the swim girls that wasn't Paige would give her a ride.

In the hopes of coming off completely honest, rather than rude, Emily shook her head as she sat in between the two talkative girls. "I'm actually going through some stuff, and I don't really want to talk about it."

"Alright, well if you ever need—" Hanna started.

"I won't," Emily interrupted, her foot tapping. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this anxious about something. She wasn't even this anxious when she came here for her first day of school. She couldn't stop thinking about talking to Alison the previous day and the fight she was in with her mom.

"Okay," Hanna said, pursing her lips as she made eye contact with Aria.

Throughout the whole class, none of the three girls spoke a word. Emily found herself tapping the eraser of her pencil against the lab table excessively, though, and knowing that she was stressed enough to do that only heightened her stress.

When the bell to dismiss first period rang, Aria and Hanna immediately started to grab there stuff to go. Emily suddenly felt guilt stirring in her stomach. "Hey, you guys, I'm sorry. I'm having a sort of bad time with coming back here. I'm really high strung right now."

"I get it, change is hard," Hanna commented, giving a stiff nod. Emily tried not to huff and roll her eyes. It was her third day of school, and it wasn't like she was extremely interested in being these girls' friend, but Emily didn't want to have people hating her. Paige, and maybe even Alison, already had that area covered.

"No, really, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," Emily insisted, and then an idea popped into her head. "Why don't you two have lunch with me today? We haven't really gotten to know each other."

Hanna lit up and Aria smiled before asking, "Sure, where do you sit?"

"Back corner. I sit with Spencer Hastings. You know her right?" Emily asked, raising her eyebrows a bit. Aria and Hanna nodded.

"Yep," Aria answered. "We'll see you at lunch."

Then they were gone, and Emily felt a bit of her anxiety gone. At least she could feel like she had three friends here. Hanna and Aria were actually starting to grow on Emily.

Second period was uneventful, as was third period, despite the presence of a certain blonde. It seemed like Alison was trying to lay low in the class after getting that detention. Something told Emily that she was scared that if she got detention again, it would mean seeing Emily again.

It was time for lunch before Emily knew it. She walked with Spencer to their usual table. "So, how was English today?"

Emily shrugged and shook her head. "Uneventful. That's the class she got detention from, so I think you know who is trying to lay low."

"You know who?" Spencer asked, smirking at the new way to reference Alison.

"Please don't mention Alison today. I—"

"Whoa, what are Aria and Hanna doing coming over here?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"That's what I was about to say. I invited them to sit with us. I don't want anyone to know about the thing with me and you know who," Emily said, shaking her head.

"Wait, I thought you said you didn't like them?" Spencer asked. Emily shrugged.

"They're okay. I thought you said you guys are sort of friends?" Emily questioned, raising an eyebrow at Spencer, who shrugged.

"Well… more like _were_," Spencer answered, but then she forced a smile as Hanna and Aria got to the table. "Hey you two!"

"Hey, Spence! Hey, Em!" Aria greeted, sitting down. Hanna sat down next to her, smiling widely.

"We usually eat outside, it's weird eating in here," Hanna commented, glancing around the lunch room. "You guys should eat outside with us sometime."

"I don't think that would be a great idea," Spencer commented, taking a bite of her food.

Hanna furrowed her eyebrows a little. "Why not?"

"Alison sits outside," Spencer answered, and Emily's eyebrows immediately pinched together into a glare at Spencer, who just raised her eyebrows in response.

"Well, it's not like we sit with her," Aria said, laughing as though that were an incredulous thought. It took Emily a second to remember that it was actually pretty impossible. Maybe it wasn't once, but now, it was. It pained Emily to realize that.

"Yeah," Spencer said, locking eyes with Emily briefly for a minute before going back to her food.

"So, Emily, Paige told me that you're going for swim captain," Aria commented, smiling widely.

"Are you and her… friends?" Emily asked quickly. It wasn't hard for her to accept that fact that she probably couldn't be friends with anyone who was friends with Paige. That would be too weird.

"Nobody is really ever _friends_ with Paige," Aria answered, shaking her head. "I have second period with her. But trust me, I'm rooting for you as far as captain goes. Paige leading anything is a bad idea. She's a little… controlling, if you ask me."

Emily felt a smile appear on her face as she nodded. "Yeah, she seems that way. I hope the swim team sees that. I'd really like to be captain."

"I'm sure they will," Hanna butted in. "Paige tries to buy votes, which means that the only people who will vote for her are people who don't even know what the other candidates are. Trust me."

Emily felt suddenly really comfortable around these two girls. Despite their overly happy demeanor that they seemed to always have, they were supportive and cool. Hanna's closed lip smile that made a cute dimple appear suddenly wasn't so over stimulating.

Spencer made eye contact with her, and Emily just shrugged a small smile. Spencer raised her eyebrows slightly as she exhaled. She sounded a little bit exasperated, and Emily was suddenly curious about why Spencer wasn't friends with these girls anymore.

She made a mental note to ask Spencer the next time they were alone.

Alison was eating her salad mindlessly as she ignored the petty gossip happening around her. The girls she ate lunch with were basically groupies. They had been supportive of Alison's rise to the top, but only because Alison basically agreed to give them some of her power once she was there. She had definitely followed through, but everybody knew that without Alison, the rest of the girls were losers. They didn't have the juice to stay on top if Alison suddenly disappeared.

It took Alison a second to realize that one of them, Mona Vanderwaal, was talking to her. "Sorry, what?" Alison asked her.

"Why aren't you wearing your Burberrys?" Mona demanded. "They would look so good with that outfit."

_Shit_, Alison's subconscious growled. "Some loser ran into me yesterday when I was leaving the mall and I almost fell and the heel on one of my shoes snapped. My mom won't let me wear any six inches for a while."

Mona's hand flew to her chest as though her heart was breaking, and her face split into an expression of panic. "The Burberrys…?"

Alison shook her head. "No, not the Burberrys. Just the Jimmy Choo pumps."

"Oh." Mona calmed considerably. Alison made a mental note of the fact that next time she wore her pumps, she would have to tell Mona that she managed to get a brand new pair.

Honestly, aside from the difference in style of her pumps and her prorsum ankle boot heels, she really saw hardly a difference in their quality. She also couldn't believe that the three hundred dollar difference basically came from the fact that one was labeled Jimmy Choo and the other was labeled Burberry. To her, it was all the same. Sure, over the years, she had become attached to certain shoes, and she appreciated their value, but she didn't see why they held so much prestige.

In not so many words, Alison understood what it was to be popular, but she didn't understand why some things were necessary to have popularity.

"Alison, what is with you today?" one of her other followers, Amanda, asked her. "You keep zoning out. Are you alright? Is this because of detention yesterday? Because I promise, we're all telling everyone that it was a total dick move from Mr. Fitz. Nobody thinks of you any less."

"I'm fine, Amanda," Alison insisted, shaking her head.

Amanda, Mona, and the two other girls at the table all exchanged concerned looks. Mona finally spoke up, "Well, even if you're fine, maybe you'll come to French club today."

"Mona, I already told you that I _don't_ want to be in French club," Alison growled, squeezing her hand into a fist.

"No, trust me, today will be a good day for you to come. We're talking about French fashion," Mona insisted, grinning.

"Yeah, we're all going," Amanda added, smiling. The other two girls nodded enthusiastically. Alison grit her teeth together, but then she realized that maybe she did need a distraction from the world. Even if she didn't understand the purpose of some fashions, it didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate fabulous outfits.

"Fine," Alison gave in, grabbing her only half finished salad as she stood up from the table outside. "See you guys after school."

"Au revoir!" came the chorus of her four followers as she walked away.

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><p><strong>I wanted to put Mona in the story, of course, but with a different twist. She's basically wannabe Mona - though she isn't loser Mona thanks to Alison. <strong>

**Likee? Lovee? Hate? Please let me know in a quick review! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this and I'll follow you back!**

**I don't have much time to chat, but I have a funny story for you all that pertains to this chapter. So firstly, I am not one for fashion. I know a few brand names, but like... I just don't care about stuff like that. So firstly, I googled "expensive shoe brands" lol and used Burberrys. Then I used Jimmy Choo - I already knew about that brand yay me haha - but like I literally went on the websites to look at their price difference and I was like what the actual heck. Also during this period of time I learned what a pump shoe is versus the other types of heels. Basically, it took me like twenty minutes to write that scene because I was busy educating myself on shoes lol...**

**Okay I'm done with that story that makes me sound like a loser hahahaha...**

**Goodnight lovelies! :D Please review C:**


	8. Eight

**A/N: Hey everyone! =D Update yayaya :D**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever._

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><p>"Okay girls, before we start swimming, quick reminder that voting for president with occur on Friday. Every team member will be required to write a name on a ticket and put it in a can that I will set in the entrance to the locker room. Candidates are Paige McCullers and… I believe Emily Fields has joined the race last minute," Fulton called to all of the swimmers. Emily smiled to herself, because she knew that Paige was probably fuming on the other end of the pool. "Alright, now today we're going to be taking time. We'll have six of you swimming laps at once, and two people will be taking time at each lane. You girls know how this works."<p>

Yes, they did all know how this worked. They also knew that these times were going to be used to determine who the anchor was going to be for the first swim meet. Emily already knew that she had this in the bag, but she was a little bit worried about Paige. After Emily practically stealing the spotlight from her, she knew that Paige was determined to one up her somehow. Plus, Emily didn't know what Paige's times were.

She would find out, though, because Paige was one of the first swimmers, and Emily was keeping her time with another girl on the team. Emily was actually really surprised when the girl made out with a twenty-eight second finish after the twenty-five yard there and twenty-five yard back. She actually got a little bit nervous, too. It had been a few weeks since she'd timed herself, so she wasn't entirely sure how good she would be.

When it was her turn to go though, Paige and another girl keeping her time, she found herself slipping in her normal zone. She was ready to swim. She launched herself into the water, cutting through it like a dolphin. She reached the other end of the pool and did a quick flip turn, before launching herself back toward the first end.

When she touched her hand onto the first wall and quickly climbed out, she turned to the two girls. "What was my time?" she demanded.

"Twenty-nine," one of the girls said as Paige smirked silently. "We were both keeping time."

Emily took a deep breath as she nodded. "Okay. Congrats, Paige."

By the end of practice, it had been decided that Paige would anchor for the next week's meet, their first meet. Their next competition for anchor wouldn't take place for another couple of weeks. Until then, Emily would push herself to the maximum until she was seconds faster than Paige. She knew she could do a twenty-eight second fifty yard, and she wasn't sure what had stopped her from reaching that today.

Emily quickly changed in the locker room and then rushed out of the natatorium and to the parking lot, because the last thing she wanted was for Paige to come after her gloating. She just hoped that this didn't cost her team captain.

It took a few seconds for Emily to remember that her car wasn't in the lot, because Spencer had driven her. It took her only half of another second to remember that Spencer was still at field hockey practice for the next hour, and that she had been going to ask someone on the swim team to drive her home. Now, though, she was already in the parking lot and some of the girls had probably already left. Plus, she didn't want to chance running into Paige by going back into the natatorium.

Groaning, she took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. She had yet to get any of her new friends' numbers, not even Spencer's. Right now, though, she wished that she had asked any of them for a number, even Aria or Hanna.

_Great_, she thought, _this day just keeps getting better and better._

"Shit," she spat angrily, locking her phone and looking up and around the lot. She was not in the mood to walk home, but she had no other way to get there.

"Somebody's not having a good afternoon," came a particular voice from behind Emily, who spun around to face Alison.

She narrowed her eyes the slightest bit. "Did you get detention again?"

"No," Alison answered in a surprisingly nonchalant voice, "I got convinced to go to French club. An hour of my life that I will never get back, wasted."

Emily couldn't help as her eyes rolled. "Whatever."

"What were you cursing about?" Alison asked, quirking up an eyebrow. Emily wanted to scream, because she was already so pissed off at Alison, and she didn't want to talk to her at all right now.

"I have to walk home," Emily answered, rolling her eyes again, this time at the situation as opposed to at Alison.

Then suddenly, as if by some magical force, Alison's face became unreadable. Her mouth opened slowly. "Umm… do you want a ride?"

Emily felt her heart clench inside her chest at the tone that Alison's voice was coming out in. It wasn't bad, no. In fact, it was the nicest that Alison had sounded since Emily got back. She sounded hopeful, and yet scared. "That would be great," Emily answered, though she kicked herself mentally for agreeing. "Um, but you can just take me to your house. I mean, your street. I uh, left my bike at Spencer's house…"

And then Alison's face steeled over somewhat. "I know," she answered, and Emily was sure that she saw Alison's jaw clench. "Where is Spencer anyway? Shouldn't you be getting a ride from _her_?"

The hostility in Alison's tone surprised Emily, who raised an eyebrow. "Um, she's at field hockey practice for another hour."

The answer didn't seem to damper Alison's strange demeanor, though. "Whatever. My car is right here."

Emily follow Alison to her car and then awkwardly got into the passenger seat side, stuffing her backpack in between her feet and the front of the car. She dragged her seatbelt over herself and clicked it carefully into its lock. Alison did the same, before starting the car and pulling out of the parking spot.

For a few moments, neither girl said anything. Emily started to feel uncomfortable and anxious, though, and she forced herself to accept the fact that if she ever wanted to be close to Alison again, and possibly help her remember who she really was, she couldn't just not say anything when the opportunity to talk was right there.

"Do you not like Spencer?" Emily forced out, trying to make conversation that didn't seem totally random.

"Not particularly," Alison answered.

"Why not? She's cool," Emily commented, bracing herself for whatever Alison's answer would be.

There wasn't an answer, though, for about ten seconds. "I just don't like her."

"You don't seem to have a lot of friends," Emily stated, hoping that Alison wasn't going to get pissed at her for saying that.

Alison shot her a steeled look. "I've never had a lot of friends."

"I know," Emily said, before silently scolding herself for saying that. "I just mean… what's the point of being so popular if you don't even get to have friends?"

"I have friends," Alison snapped defensively. "Okay, stop picking apart my life. You don't know me anymore, Emily."

"Maybe," Emily agreed, talking slowly as she picked her words carefully, "but honestly, do you know yourself anymore, Alison?"

"Of course I do," Alison insisted, but a near inaudible tremor in her voice gave her away.

Emily took that as her cue. "I'm not trying to pick apart your life. I just don't think that it's possible for you to go from the girl that I knew three years ago, to the girl I see parting crowds of people like the Red Sea."

"Well clearly, it is possible, because it happened," Alison snapped.

The brunette tried not to snap back as she spoke, "Okay, yes, but I don't think you've _changed_ into that person. I think you're hiding from real life using that person. This persona that you've made for yourself."

"Hiding from real life?" Alison demanded.

"Yes, from real life," Emily confirmed, "and real people, and real problems. You're creating a form of existence that requires you to do less and work less hard and trouble over less things."

"No!" Alison interrupted. "No, I don't _trouble_ over less things! I probably spend more time trying to work through shit than most people, especially now! Okay, you don't get to judge me like that!"

"I'm not trying to judge you!" Emily exclaimed, her voice raising naturally. "I'm just saying—"

"Well stop just saying!" Alison exclaimed. "Just stop! You're not making anything any easier right now, Emily. If you think you're going through a hard time being back, can't you just stop and think for a second about the hard time I'm probably going through with you being back?"

Emily hadn't realized that they were already back at Alison's house. "How could I have thought about it?" Emily demanded. "You made it perfectly clear to me when I got back that you have no interest in even acknowledging that we _knew_ each other years ago, let alone were _best friends_!"

Alison blinked, like she hadn't expected Emily to say anything like that.

"I'm sorry that I can't pretend like we never existed in the same world. I'm sorry that it kills me to see you walking through the halls looking like you're so pleased to be at the top of the world, when I know that you're probably dying inside. I mean, you _hate_ hairspray," Emily commented, her eyes locking with Alison's.

Alison didn't say anything.

"I just think that we both need to get some things out in the open before either of us decides whether or not we should acknowledge each other's existence again," Emily stated.

Alison now suddenly felt nervous. "What things?"

Emily's eyes searched Alison's carefully. "You know what things. And when you finally acknowledge their existence, then we can talk about them, and then if you really want, I'll leave you alone for good."

Emily quickly unbuckled her seat belt, grabbed her backpack, and then she was gone, across the grass and in Spencer's front yard to retrieve her bike. Alison watched her carefully, and once she was gone, she left her car with a sigh and started inside.

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><p><strong>Wowowowowow feisty Emily!<strong>

**LIKE? LOVEE? HATEE? Please let me know in a review or a PM! :D They make me so happy c: Also please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana and tweet me that you read this and I shall follow you back =)**

**So I know that some of you all are getting rather impatient, or perhaps not impatient but just bleh, about the fact that Emison hasn't really had any moments, but I promise that a bunch of stuff is about to go down over the next four chapters, and ultimately, you will be pleased with it I think :)**

**Mmmm I may write more tonight of this story and will probably update tomorrow sometime c: Happy weekend lovelies! Please review c:**


	9. Nine

**A/N: Somebody mentioned how these chapters seem really short, and yes, they do. See, the problem I was having was that I didn't realize how long this first flashback is getting, so when I reached a stopping point I was like "oh it's long enough perfect!" when really, like 400 words were taking up by the flashback. So... it did take me a few chapters after really doing it to realize it. So yes, this chapter is a bit short as well... they'll start to get back to normal length soon though:)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! (150th reviewer gets a shoutout, don't forget ;) )**

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><p>"<em>What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it.<em>

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top?_

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say._

* * *

><p>The old front door slammed forcefully behind Alison as she stormed into her house. "Alison, can I talk to you for a minute?" came her mother's call from the living room.<p>

Inhaling stiffly to keep herself from snapping at her mom, Alison entered the living room. Jessica DiLaurentis was sitting comfortably in one of their old style chairs. "Yeah?" she asked impatiently. She just wanted to find something to do to distract her from the whirlpool she was in.

"Yes, I saw you pull into the driveway," her mother began, already giving Alison the directly questioning gaze. "Was that Emily Fields I saw?"

"She moved back a few days ago," Alison answered, bobbing her head slightly. "She left her bike at the Hastings house. I was just driving her here to get it."

"Mm," Jessica hummed, "and why haven't you told me that she's back?"

"Because it doesn't concern you. It hardly even concerns me. We're completely different people now, mom," Alison snapped, the tone of voice she used being one that she hadn't intended to speak with.

"I'm not so sure about that, sweetie," Jessica commented, shaking her head slightly. "Why don't you go upstairs and do your homework before dinner? Your brother is going to join us today."

"When did he get here?" Alison asked, blinking.

"Yesterday. He's staying in Philadelphia, but I managed to steal him for a night. He should be here in a couple of hours," her mom said, nodding surely.

"Alright well, I'll be there," Alison said, trying not to groan. Her brother, Jason, and her weren't always so close, especially not after he moved out of Pennsylvania for college right as her parents were getting a divorce. Though, they had both already seen that coming. "In the meantime, I'll just go regret my entire existence upstairs in my room."

"What are you talking about?" Jessica demanded. "Are you okay?"

Alison cursed under her breath for opening her mouth. "I'm fine. I'm just going through some things."

"Is this about Emily?" her mother asked her pointedly, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Alison, you need to—"

"I don't need to do anything!" Alison interrupted, raising her voice as she violently shook her head. She turned on her heel and headed for the front door. Everything was overwhelming her. Talking to Emily, and now her mom… she just couldn't deal with any of it.

Emily found herself peddling as hard as she could, and she didn't slow her speed until she was practically in her driveway. When she did stop, though, she sat still on her bicycle seat, taking long, slow breaths. Biking with a backpack on was never the best thing to do, but she hadn't really had much of a choice. Emily's bike ride, though considerably shorter than normal due to the push she had given herself, had Emily sweating like crazy. Not only that, but she was pretty sure that she had begun to cry during it as well. She couldn't really tell for sure now, though, because her tears would have mixed into her sweat by now.

A shower was what she needed. She abandoned her bike in the driveway and lugged her backpack inside. As soon as she entered her house, she sprinted up the stairs, carelessly threw her backpack into her bedroom and locked herself in the bathroom.

"Emily! Emily Fields you get out of there this instant! You have some serious explaining to do, young lady! The only reason I didn't call the _police_ today was because I didn't get a call saying that you were absent from school!" Pam Fields exclaimed, banging on the bathroom door.

"Sorry mom, can't hear you, shower!" Emily called, rolling her eyes as she stuck her hand into the shower and turned it on. Luckily, the sound did succeed in blocking out whatever it was that her mom was saying now.

Emily stripped down to complete nudity and stepped into the shower, sighing with relief as the cold water beat down on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against the wall of the shower as the water enveloped her. She was savoring these few moments of peace before her mom would be all over her about practically running away for twenty four hours.

After spending nearly fifteen minutes under cold water, cleaning herself off and trying her best to get every ounce of chlorine out of her hair, Emily finally had to leave her sanctuary. She retrieved a soft, white towel that was hanging from a bar on the wall and wrapped it neatly around herself. Once she was relatively dry, she quietly unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out onto the carpet lining the hallway. Just a few steps to her bedroom. She could make it.

So she rushed through the chilly air and felt successful as she made it to her room. Her feeling of success disappeared after only a second, though, because it didn't take long to notice her mom sitting stiffly on the side of her bed. She was holding Emily's phone. Once she noticed Emily, she raised the phone up a bit for Emily to see. "_This_ is confiscated."

Emily just clenched her teeth.

"What were you thinking? Disappearing on your bike like that?" her mom demanded. "You could have at least taken your car! That was reckless, Emily!"

Emily shook her head. "I didn't go very far. I stayed at a friend's place."

"_Alison_?" Pam snapped.

"No!" Emily growled. "Mom! You have to stop this! Stop micromanaging me! I'm not your little puppet to play with! I'm not your clone! Just because you want me to be a certain way doesn't mean that I'm going to be that way! Alright, I'm my own person, and I don't want to be treated like this! I'm your daughter! You're my mother! You're not supposed to hate who I am!"

"_That_ person that you think you are from three years ago… _that_ is not you," Pam argued, shaking her head. "That was what someone made you. You're not that person. You are a good person, my daughter. You're an outstanding student, an outstanding swimmer… you're not… not a sinful person, Emily."

Emily found herself shaking her head furiously. "I'm not as outstanding as you think. I didn't make anchor for next week's meet. I might not get to be swim captain. I'm not sure if I'll ever reconnect with my former best friend. I don't think I'll ever fit back in here after three years of being gone. I might've been outstanding once, mom, but face it, _you_ messed me up."

"I did nothing of the sort!" Pam exclaimed.

"Yes you did!" Emily exclaimed. "You messed up my entire life, mom! And as I've previously said, I'm still myself, and I can't change that. Even if you think that the person that I am is just something that someone spread to me like a disease…"

"You are not a sinful person, Emily."

"You're right, I'm not. You just don't know what to consider a sin," Emily hissed. "Okay, you've taken my phone. You've tried your best at a lecture. Can you please go now so that I can freaking get dressed and do my homework? I'll never be outstanding again if I don't do it."

Emily's mom just stared at her as though she were a foreign object, and Emily just walked past her mom and to her closet, where she began to shuffle through clothes. She would have just grabbed the first pajamas she laid eyes on, but she was waiting for her mom to leave. "Emily… I'm not trying to ruin your life. I'm just trying to keep you from throwing it out of the window for some phase that you're going through."

Emily spun around to spit a nasty comment about that at her mom, but Pam was gone by the time she'd turned around. With her went Emily's phone. Not that Emily really cared. She didn't really have anyone to call or text anyway.

Alison sat curled up behind the school. The building was a really weird shape in the back, because the school's natatorium had been added years after the school itself was built, because it was so expensive. The result was an extra corner in a very strange position behind the school. It had used to be an escape spot for Alison. She hadn't even ever told Emily about it.

She couldn't recall the exact last time that she'd come to this spot, though. It felt weird to be there again, but she hadn't had anywhere else to go. There wasn't a single spot that she could think of where she could be entirely alone like she was right now.

A thought was tugging in the back of her mind, something having to do with what Emily had said to her earlier. She wanted so badly to ignore it, but it kept tugging at her.

At some point, Alison let herself think into the past. She pictured herself talking to Emily while they walked the whole hour home from school. She recalled them trudging through snow in the winter, and tackling each other down into it. Alison couldn't help the smile that broke out onto her face as she thought about it. She remembered Emily insisting that they were going to get frostbite and die if they laid around in the snow, but Alison had begged that they at least make a few snow angels. A few had turned into at least ten, and then they'd even piled up a sloppy snowman.

Had they been walking to Emily's house, they would've received a huge lecture from Pam, Emily's mom. Lucky for them, though, they'd been on their way to Alison's house. Jessica DiLaurentis had just laughed at them and made them hot chocolate. Alison's smile widened. She had a feeling that her mom had always sort of known…

Suddenly, Alison's smile disappeared. _Known what?_ she asked herself. She gulped visibly and shook her head, burying her face into her knees. It was so easy to think of Emily, but when she thought of all of the underlying things… it wasn't easy at all.

Once, it was all easy. Once, Alison wouldn't be at all afraid to consider how she really felt toward Emily. Once, they could be themselves around each other.

Once… but no longer.

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><p><strong>Mmmmmmm... I know that a lot of you don't like that I made Emily's mom the bad guy, but that's just how the story had to play out. Obviously, it's only slightly OOC, because Emily's mom was against her being gay at first... Idk, but I'm the writer and I'll do what I want ;P And obviously, Emily's mom will start to come around. Sorry for the drama of it all.<strong>

**Like? Love? Hate? Please let me know in a quick review :) Also, tweet me at BrittzandTana that you read this, and I'll follow you back (which means you gots to be following me) ;)**

**HAPPY NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY! I know that a lot of people don't live in an environment where they can be open about who they are, but it's important for everyone to never feel ashamed or scared of being who they are. I came out to my parents almost 3 years ago, and they and my immediate family accepted me. I know that isn't the case for everyone, especially considering that parts of my more extended family has basically disowned my entire family because of me being gay. In the summer of 2013, after over a year of being terrified to come out to my friends and to people at school, I got fed up with not being able to be myself. It didn't feel fair that people could be so happy being themselves, and I had to sit there and hide who I was because I was scared. I had no idea how anyone would react, because let's face it, people in Texas aren't always the most accepting. Some of my best friends had made jokes against lesbians, or had said that they were creeped out by girls who liked girls. Once, when I told one of my friends that I just didn't like anyone, she made the joke, "Are you like, a lesbian?"... I was terrified. But I got fed up with being scared, and I turned my fear into determination. I didn't come out to anyone face to face, not at first. I used a facebook/instagram post and came out to everyone there. I remember that one of my friends texted me, "Was that you on Facebook?", like she thought I'd been hacked. Ultimately, though, all of my friends accepted me for who I was. They all told me how much they loved me and how they would always be there for me and that I could always talk to them. I know not everyone can be so lucky to have friends and family as accepting as mine, but sometimes things will turn out a lot better than you would imagine. I'm not saying that everyone should come out not matter what- I mean, I wish that everyone could come out and be guaranteed the same support I have...**

**I don't really know what I'm saying. I just felt like I needed to reflect on that haha... it is National Coming Out Day after all...**

**So I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and also my super long, not very purposeful coming out story. :P**

**Goodnight my lovelies! C: Love yourself, because you're perfect the way you are... and please review c;**


	10. Ten

**A/N: Good evening, lovelies! Time for another update!**

**Firstly, though, I need to address a review that I received last night from a Guest. You'll know right away if it's you, so feel free to not read this if it wasn't you. I don't like take space up in my A/N, but I can't answer this any other way that I can be guaranteed the reviewer will see it:**

**Dear Guest Reviewer, first of all, maybe next time you review, you could do it on an account so that I can answer you directly. I do respond to almost every review that I can, and I hate that I couldn't respond to this one yesterday. Second of all, I was kidding with that comment, hence the ";P" that followed it. I do take what everyone says into consideration, all of the time. I read every single review I receive. Emily's mom will eventually come around, but for now, I NEED her to be this way for the story to play out, and therefore, I will do what I want to do with it. Plus, even if it seems that I don't take anything into consideration, you have to consider that I am like 4 chapters ahead at any given moment, and sometimes I CAN'T change things to make every single person happy. Also, I'm sorry if that comment made you not like my attitude. I really was not intending to make that into something rude or conceited or whatever it made me come off as. I really was messing around. Furthermore, I'm sorry that you don't like the flashback. I know that sometimes it seems repetitive. Lately, in chapters you haven't read yet, I have been adding some more things that give a glimpse into what happened before the flashback occurred. Anyway, no one is making you read it. If a lot of people don't like me including it every chapter, then I won't. I will not, however, not include it because of your one review. And this is not me being the "I'll do what I want" person you think that I am. Lastly, to address that my stories go off track and you lose interest... I'm aware that sometimes my stories drift a little bit from the main plot. I'm not perfect. With every story that I write, I try really hard to get better. So far, in this story, I don't feel that I have gone off track at all. I know that it's slow going, but I don't see where you think that I've gone off track. I respect your opinion, of course, and I am sorry that you feel the way you do. I take your feedback seriously, and I did answer your review on Twitter last night to get other people's opinions on what you said. Anyway, I hope you can maybe log onto an account and PM me, because I really hate not knowing what people have to say after I've responded to them.**

**Okay... sorry that was so long. (To the reviewer who keeps mentioning how long my A/Ns are... you're welcome to skip over them. And the length of my A/Ns does not change how the longer the chapter would be)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it.<em>

_"Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now._

_"Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe._

_"Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good._

_"Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top?_

_"Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde._

_"No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it._

_"You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat._

_"Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't._

_"Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say._

* * *

><p>"Alison? Is that you?" came Jessica's calls as Alison entered her house. "Jason is here!"<p>

"Of course he is," Alison growled under her breath, before calling back to her mom, "I'll be there in a second."

"Emily, where do you think you're going?" Pam called to Emily as she started to the front door.

"Um, out," Emily snapped, gritting her teeth. "I'm going to hang out with a friend."

"No, you're not," Pam answered, walking out of the living room and into the foyer, where Emily stood helplessly. "You're grounded, young lady."

"Alison! We're about to have dinner! Come downstairs!" Jessica yelled from downstairs. "Come on, Jason wants to see you!"

"Like hell he wants to see me," Alison muttered to herself, shaking her head. She quickly switched her heels for an old, worn pair of sneakers that she hadn't worn in years. Then she grabbed an old sweatshirt from her closet, pulling it over her blouse. It messed up her hair a bit, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Alison!" her mom called again. Alison just grit her teeth.

"Why the hell am I grounded?" Emily snapped, narrowing her eyes at her mom. "You know what, don't answer that. I'm sure it falls somewhere along the line of me being corrupted."

"What are you talking about?" Pam snapped.

"Are you serious? Do you not remember a little while ago when you were so eagerly insisting that a disease has been spread to me that makes me become a sinful person until I'm magically cured?" Emily growled.

Pam shook her head. "Stop putting words into my mouth."

"I'm not putting anything in there," Emily snapped, "I'm just pulling out what was already there."

"Alison!" Jessica's voice was much closer to Alison's bedroom door now. Bracing herself, Alison slid her window open, grabbed her cell phone and car keys, and swung one leg over the windowsill. Just as she did, her door open to reveal her mom. "Alison! What are you doing?"

"Sorry, I can't make it to dinner," Alison said, shrugging her shoulders as she swung over her other leg and dropped down from her bedroom.

Alison hadn't ever snuck out through her window before, but she had never failed to notice that the drop from it to the ground wasn't as big and crazy as it seemed. However, she hadn't expected the shock to hit her like it did.

"You know what, Emily, it doesn't matter what you think that I'm doing, because either way, I am your mother. You have do what I say, and you are staying in this house. Do you hear me?" Pam growled.

Emily nodded. "Oh, I hear you, but surprise, I really don't care what you say right now."

Before her mom could say anything else, Emily swung open the front door of her house and ran outside. Her car was parked neatly in the driveway, but she didn't have time to get in it. Her mom would catch her. She went for her bike, which was still sitting propped up on the driveway.

"Alison Lauren DiLaurentis, you get back here right now!" Alison heard her mom yelling to her from her bedroom as she ran across her backyard and into the Hastings' yard. She wasn't expecting anyone to be back there, so she was a little surprised when she saw Spencer Hastings staring at her in shock.

"Um, Alison," Spencer stated.

"You never saw me," Alison growled, before pushing past the brunette and hurrying around the house. She didn't stop until she was in the Hastings' driveway. She saw her mom in front of her house, looking around in utter confusion.

"Emily Fields!" Emily heard her mom yelling frantically. "Emily! You don't even have a phone!"

Aware that she was still in hearing range of her mom, Emily yelled out, "Next time, don't take it away, then!" She searched her mind quickly for a place to bike to. It didn't take her long to settle on the natatorium, where she could at least let out her frustration in a few laps before trying to find someone to stay with. Maybe Spencer, but she didn't really want to trouble her again.

Jessica DiLaurentis rushed back into her home, and Alison estimated that she had a total of twenty seconds before her mom would be back out, phone in hand. She would be calling the police and looking around frantically. So in those twenty seconds, Alison sprinted to her driveway, her car keys in hand. She swung open the driver's side and sat herself down, starting the car while closing the door.

By the time twenty seconds was up, Alison's mother was frantically running back out of the house while Alison herself drove out of the cul-de-sac that her house was situated in. While she did feel the slightest bit of regret as she abandoned her mom, Alison felt suddenly free. And where to go but her spot behind the school? Truthfully, she had only left to come back here in order to change into comfier clothing.

It took only an easy twenty minutes for Emily to bike her way all the way to the natatorium. Once there, she abandoned her bike next to the entrance and tried the door. Locked, of course.

She started around the natatorium building, looking for the other entrance. She knew that there was another one, but she doubted it would be open. Emily began to feel all of her anger welling up inside of her as she reached the other door to find it locked.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she continued around the building. She had no idea what she was doing at this point.

She froze, though, as she heard a quiet sobbing. Who was back here? Steeling herself, Emily took tentative steps around the natatorium. It was connected to the school in a weird way, so that there was a sort of pocket of space in between the two buildings. It wasn't entirely visible unless you walked into it.

Emily never had, but she found herself taking nervous steps into the area.

There in front of her, sitting in a ball on the concrete ground, was the girl she had least expected to ever see here. For a moment. Emily actually did a double take. Alison… here? Crying?

"Ali?" she whispered, not even cursing at herself mentally for using the nickname.

Alison's head flew up from where it'd been buried in her arms and knees. "E-Emily," Alison stuttered out, "w-what are you doing? Here, I mean? I mean, how did you… you…"

"I wasn't… looking for you," Emily said slowly, nervously crossing her arms over her chest. It was chilly out. "I was… trying to find a way into the natatorium. I heard you um… crying."

Alison shook her head. "I'm not crying. I'm fine."

Emily took a cautious step closer to Alison, before lowering herself onto the ground. She was only a few feet from the blonde, who was watching her with still, blue eyes. "I can see tears on your face."

"I guess there's no fooling you, huh?" Alison muttered, shaking her head again. "I'm fine, really. I just… needed to be away. From everything. For a little while."

"I've never been here," Emily commented, looking around the little space.

Alison nodded. "I know. I used to come here without you." Emily turned her head to look directly at the blonde again. Alison was just staring straight ahead. "To think."

"To cry?" Emily asked, lifting an eyebrow. Alison finally met her eyes again, and she gave a weak shrug.

"I'm just… really stressed out. My mom is all over me…" Alison shook her head.

Trying not to sound too bitter, Emily muttered, "If you think your mom is all over you, you should've seen mine today."

Alison didn't take her eyes off of the brunette. "What happened?"

"Well, firstly, she took my phone because yesterday I left after we fought a bit and I crashed at Spencer's. Then, after a second bitter fight, I tried to leave the house, at which point we fought once again," Emily muttered, rolling her eyes. "She will never understand."

Alison finally tore her eyes away from Emily's. "I'm sorry. That sucks."

"Yeah," Emily agreed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to… try and put you into any perspective."

Alison shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I probably needed to hear something like that. At least my mom is on me because she's trying to help."

"Help with what?" Emily asked, simply because she felt like she deserved some sort of information in return for what she gave out.

"Life," Alison answered, letting out a slightly bitter laugh. "I have no idea who I am."

Emily felt her heart clench inside of her, because she felt suddenly like she may have been right about Alison. "I'm sorry…"

Alison sighed. "I wish I smiled more."

"What?" Emily asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she looked at Alison.

"I don't smile enough," Alison admitted. "I have frown lines when I'm not frowning."

"So smile more," Emily suggested weakly. "There are plenty of things to be happy about."

"Like what?" Alison demanded, but she sounded desperate, like she legitimately wanted to know what to smile about.

"You're healthy. Your mom loves you. You live in a nice house. You're almost done with high school," Emily listed off slowly, shrugging. "Also, even though you're struggling, you're still here, which in itself is an accomplishment."

Alison watched Emily carefully as she let that sink in. She supposed that the other girl was right. "Why don't you hate me?" Alison whispered. "The nicest thing I've done for you since you've been back is drive you to Spencer's house."

Emily's eyes rose and met Alison's. "Come on, Alison. Do you really have to ask me why I don't hate you?"

Alison didn't think twice before shaking her head. "No." Emily nodded as if to prove her point. "Emily… I'm sorry."

"What for?" Emily asked softly.

"Disappointing you. Letting you down. Whatever I did."

Emily shook her head. "You don't need to apologize, okay? It wasn't my place to say anything about you and your new… way of living life." Emily couldn't bring herself to say anything other than that, even though she still was sure that Alison was only torturing herself.

"No," Alison argued, shaking her head, "you were right. This isn't me. I don't know what is _me._ But it's not this. Actually, right now, I feel more like me than I have in years."

Emily looked over Alison carefully, noting the old tennis shoes and sweatshirt. And suddenly, her eyes widened. "That's mine."

"What?" Alison questioned, giving her a weird look.

"That hoodie. It's mine," Emily stated, blinking. "It's the National Guard sweatshirt that my dad got me in eighth grade. I always wondered what happened to it. I always figured that my mom had accidentally left it behind when we… um, moved."

Alison stared down at the white sweatshirt she was wearing. She hadn't even noticed that it said National Guard on it. She had completely forgotten that it was Emily's, and she couldn't even recall why she had it. "Oh."

Emily swallowed thickly. "Um, sorry. I just realized…"

Alison shrugged. "Do you want it back?"

"No." Both girls sat there in silence for a moment, neither looking directly at the other. Finally, Emily shifted. "Um, I should go. I came here to do laps, but I guess I can't so."

"I heard that Paige beat you today," Alison stated, freezing Emily in her place.

"Yeah?" she asked, aware that she sounded very disappointed about it.

"Paige tweets every second of her life. It's actually kind of funny," Alison admitted. "Sorry you lost."

Emily shrugged. "It was my own fault. I was too cocky about it."

Alison just bobbed her head slowly.

"I really probably should go," Emily muttered, pulling herself up. Alison just watched her. "I'll… see you around."

Alison watched as Emily started out of the little corner, and then she suddenly blurted, "Emily, wait."

Emily froze, turning her head to look at Alison. "Yes?"

Both of their gazes met expectantly, but Alison couldn't get any words out. She opened her mouth, and almost even made a sound, but she just couldn't in the end. Words wouldn't come to her. Emily finally just let out a sigh.

"See you in English, Ali… um, Alison."

Emily's heart pounded as she hurried to the front of the school and ran to where she left her bike. She was completely shocked, though, to find that it was gone.

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><p><strong>Ooh what do you guys think is going to happen? :3 Maybe drop me a review of what you guys think? I'm sorry it's been so depressing, but I promise that it's getting better. I'm afraid that lot of people have stopped reading it because they thought it was too sad?<strong>

**Follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana and tweet me that you read this for a follow back.**

**Goodnight lovelies.**


	11. Eleven

**A/N: AYYY Guys! So sorry I'm late in updating, I've been crazy busy. Wednesday was the PSAT (any of you guys sympathizing with me rn? lol) and today I had 5 tests and a quiz... very stressful... Ugh... But now I'm back C:**

**Shoutout! The 150th reviewer was... badadadadadadadadada... user Sabertuth! c: Thank you all for reviewing! :D I so appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! C:**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top?_

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say._

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><p>Alison squeezed her eyes shut after Emily left the area. She was trying desperately to control her breathing, and to hold back the tears that would inevitably come. Even if she only held them back for a few extra minutes. She had so many things she felt like she needed to say to Emily, but she couldn't bring herself to think of them, let alone say them aloud.<p>

Couldn't she have just forced words out of her mouth? It was killing her, all of it. Emily being back, but them hardly talking. In those few moments she got to talk to Emily… she had felt more real and alive than she had since… since Emily had left three years ago.

Huffing, she stood up from where she'd been curled up and stormed from her corner. Tears began to leak from her eyes, but she didn't care at this point. She stomped around to the front of the natatorium, but stopped herself from actually walking toward her car. Instead, she let her eyes' gaze fall on a frustrated Emily walking toward a second car in the lot.

It took Alison a second to realize that a woman—Emily's mom—was stuffing Emily's bike into the back of the car. She swallowed thickly as she began to over hear their conversation.

"What on Earth were you thinking Emily?" Pam demanded. "You don't even have your phone!"

"And whose fault is that?" Emily snapped back.

"What is going on with you lately?" Pam questioned. "You're being defiant, you're being hateful… I don't get it!"

"Maybe that's the problem then! You don't get it," Emily growled. "Look mom, I don't want to do this right now. Just take me home, ground me for life, and let me brood silently in my room."

"Wait a second…" Pam was looking directly at Alison's car, causing her to shrink back a bit behind the building, for fear that Pam would see her. "Is someone else here? Did you come here to meet someone?"

"No, mom," Emily snapped. "I didn't even see that car when I got here, I was too pissed to notice anything."

"Don't lie to me young lady," Pam snapped right back. "Did you come here to meet some girl? You know what, I'm taking you to Pastor Ted on Saturday. You need to talk to someone about your problems."

"My problems?" Emily exclaimed.

"Get in the car Emily!" Pam snapped. Surprising Alison, Emily did was she was told, and then Pam got into the driver's side and whatever else they said was lost to Alison as they drove away.

Now, it was Alison's turn to get in her car and go face her own mother.

Said mother was waiting patiently for Alison, and when the blonde walked inside, her mother looked more relieved than angry. "Alison, what were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't handle a dinner with Jason… or with anyone, really. And I'm sorry that I ran out earlier, too," Alison apologized slowly. "I'm just… I'm not okay."

"Is this about Emily, or no?" Jessica DiLaurentis questioned, her voice coming out in a slightly cautious way. She was clearly worried about upsetting Alison again.

"Yes, it is," Alison let herself admit to her mother, "but… it's more than just Emily. Her being back messed me up completely. I don't know who I am anymore, mom…"

Jessica nodded slowly. "I know who you are."

Alison felt her eyebrows raising slightly as an expression of desperation took over her face.

"You are my daughter, Alison Lauren DiLaurentis. You're unique, beautiful, strong. You can get through whatever life throws at you. I know that for a fact, because I've seen you do it," Jessica insisted, stepping closer to her daughter and giving her a gentle smile.

Alison found herself shaking her head, despite her mother's words. She couldn't bring herself to feel any strength within herself. All she felt was weakness and fear and stress. "I don't know about that."

"I do," Jessica insisted, giving her daughter an encouraging smile. "I know we're not as close as we were years ago, sweetie, but I am here for you, okay?"

Alison's head bobbed in a small nod without her permission, and she found herself grabbing her mom in a tight hug and burying her face into her neck. Willing herself not to cry, Alison clung to her mom. She wanted to feel normal again. She didn't want to feel like this anymore.

After a minute or so, Alison forced herself to pull away from her mother. "I'm going to go upstairs. I'm sorry about dinner."

"Don't worry about it," Jessica DiLaurentis insisted, nodding as if it further assure Alison that it was fine. "Go lay down, okay?"

Nodding, Alison obeyed and went upstairs to her room, where she collapsed onto her bed and snuggled into her blankets and her—or well, Emily's—sweatshirt. It felt weird to think that it was actually Emily's. Emily, her former best friend and maybe even more… Emily, the girl she couldn't stop thinking about. She had tried so hard when Emily got back to not let it affect her, but she had finally given in to the fact that Emily couldn't not affect her. Three years later, and Alison still felt like Emily had some sort of hold over her.

Emily, unlike Alison, found herself fuming by the time she got home. Her mother was enraged, and therefore, Emily was pretty pissed off as well. While Pam kept mumbling about making an appointment for Emily with the pastor, Emily found herself simply furrowing her eyebrows and concentrating on hating her mother rather than thinking about Alison.

When they got home, though, and Emily managed to escape upstairs, Alison took over her entire mind. Emily couldn't help as she laid sprawled helplessly over her bed, her thoughts focusing on a certain blonde who was probably still wearing her sweatshirt right now.

Or maybe not. Maybe Alison had thought that wearing Emily's sweatshirt was far too strange, and she had taken it off. Maybe she had slipped back into heels and a blouse and gone to the mall. That's what people like her did every day, right?

Emily mentally scolded herself for thinking so bitterly of Alison right now. Clearly, the blonde was struggling with things just as Emily was. Maybe they were slightly different than what Emily was struggling with, but that didn't meant that it was any less hard.

Sighing, Emily let herself admit that she was just waiting for Alison to bring something up about them in the past… Not just anything, though, she wanted Alison to say something about their feelings for one another that had undoubtedly been there. Emily could remember their relationship quite clearly, and though it was never defined and they never really spoke about it, it could never have simply manifested between two normal friends. That much Emily was sure of.

Alison had to bring it up, though. Emily was afraid that if she did it, Alison would just spew something out about how they had only been children then and hadn't known who they really were. And Emily didn't think she would survive if she had to hear that.

"Can I ask you something?" Emily looked at Spencer hopefully as fourth period began.

Spencer shrugged. "Yeah, sure. But, if it's about… you know who, then—"

"No," Emily promised, shaking her head. Though she had told Spencer about her and Alison's history, Emily didn't want to make a habit of talking about what was going on. She didn't want somebody to over hear and spread rumors or anything like that. "I was wondering what ever happened between you and Aria and Hanna?"

Spencer blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you told me that you all used to be sort of friends," Emily answered, shrugging casually. "It's no big deal, I'm just curious."

Spencer gave a small shrug. "You, uh, probably don't want to know."

Now, though, Emily knew that she really did actually want to know. Moreover, she wanted to know why Spencer thought she wouldn't want to know. "Come on, Spencer. I've told you my deep, dark secrets." Though her tone of voice was playful, Emily was dead serious.

"Well, it has to do with you know who, so if you really want to hear, I'll tell you," Spencer admitted, shrugging. Now, Emily found herself incredibly confused. Alison? When had Alison ever even spoken to Spencer? Emily had been surprised when she found out that Alison even knew that Spencer existed, and now she was somehow related to Spencer's friendships?

"I wanna know," Emily insisted, concern lacing each word like poison on a knife.

"Okay, well… picture this. All of us in sophomore year, really good friends, and this random girl with big hopes and dreams pretty much appears out of no where," Spencer started in a faraway voice. It took a moment for it to dawn on Emily though—that random girl was Alison. "She doesn't have any friends, so we sort of adopt her into our friend group."

Emily found herself completely baffled at the fact that Spencer, Aria and Hanna were once all friends with Alison. She almost started to ask a billion different questions at once, but Spencer was talking again.

"Before you freak out, we literally only talked to her for like three days before she practically shoved us away," Spencer explained, shaking her head slightly. "I don't know… I could tell that she was going through something weird, but then, next thing I knew, she was walking through that school like she owned the place."

"Okay… so what does this have to do with you and Aria and Hanna?" Emily asked, not really anxious to talk about Alison at the moment.

Spencer nodded. "Well, a couple weeks after we all stopped talking to Alison because she had started basically running the school, someone made up a rumor that Alison was like… into girls."

Now, Emily's eyes widened. Was that what Paige was referencing in the natatorium two days prior? And how random had that rumor been? Had somebody known about Emily and Alison?

"Yeah, well… Alison was convinced that one of the three of us had made it up. I'm not sure why she would think that, but she confronted all three of us one day at school and basically denied the whole thing and then she…" Spencer bit her lip nervously, and Emily just gave her an expectant look. "She basically told us that if we ever made up a rumor about her again, she would destroy whatever social lives we had."

Emily tried to suppress a sigh. Half of her mind was raging at Alison, but the other half was defending her. It was almost painful inside of her brain. "Okay, but why does that affect you and Aria and—"

Spencer huffed. "I don't know. We just… we were terrified and nobody wanted to talk to us because they were afraid of Alison getting mad at them and we just drifted apart. Well… I guess I did more than them. I just buried myself into schoolwork and… yeah. That's it."

"So why do you seem like you don't like them at all?" Emily wondered.

"You ask a lot of questions," Spencer stated. Emily just nodded and then looked expectantly at the other brunette. Spencer let out a light sigh. "It's a story for another time."

Emily just nodded, and as she did, the bell rang out over the intercom and their government teacher began to lecture about political parties or something. Emily wasn't exactly sure, because she found herself zoning out and thinking specifically about Alison. Parts of Emily naturally judged her, and others scolded her for doing so. Alison was a person. She was allowed to make mistakes.

"Miss Fields!" came the teacher's voice suddenly. Emily jumped in her seat as her eyes flicked over to the teacher.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"I'm not sure how you did things in _Texas_ Emily, but here, we pay attention during lectures." Emily just nodded in response and let out a silent sigh as the teacher turned back around. Alison was taking over her mind, and Emily was not sure how she felt about it.

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><p><strong>Ladadada :)<strong>

**Like? Love? Hate? Please let me know what you guys think in a quick review! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this for a follow back c:**

**Can't talk much, sorry loves :(**

**Goodnight :) Please review c:**


	12. Twelve

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Update time c: Was so excited for you all to read this that I'm posting it earlier than intended :D Yay! I hope you'll like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p>"<em>What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her.<em>

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way?_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Alison!" came Amanda's squeaky voice from behind Alison, who huffed and stopped walking. She had just seen Amanda at lunch—what could she still want? "Are you coming to French club again after school?"<p>

Alison clenched her teeth. "Why?"

Amanda frowned slightly. "You just seem really stressed out lately, and I think you had fun yesterday. Come on."

"I'm not," Alison snapped, perhaps a little too quickly, shaking her head. "I'm not stressed out, and I'm not coming to French club. I have better things to do."

Amanda looked hurt. "Oh, okay. Well… See you tomorrow?"

Nodding, Alison forced a smile. Despite the fact that she didn't truly care for her group of followers, she hated to upset them. Not because she needed followers, but because they were nothing but nice to her, and it felt terrible to be mean to them. "Yes, I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe we can get ditch fifth tomorrow and get some gelato after lunch."

A grin appeared on Amanda's face. "Awesome! See you, Alison!"

Alison nodded again, and then she continued walking to fifth period. Something was nagging at her insistently, though. As she so desperately tried to put her finger on it, her eyes suddenly fell on a certain girl walking into a classroom. Emily.

Stopping her one way track to her fifth period, Alison cut through a group of people, who practically fell out of her way, and into the nearest restroom. There was only one girl in there, fixing her makeup, but just the sight of the blonde had her retreating as though it were a life or death situation.

Alison paced through the bathroom religiously. Her three inch heels clicked on the tiled floor as she did so, and she felt something stirring inside of her. It was a rise of emotion, swelling inside her chest and then shrinking back down, swelling again only seconds later.

Yes, Alison had seen Emily briefly in third period. She hadn't spoken to her though, of course. Really, she had barely even looked at the brunette. That was just it, though. She had hardly even looked at Emily, and doing so killed her. She couldn't stop thinking about the previous night, when she had wanted so badly to say something to Emily, but she hadn't been able to find the right words. She couldn't stop thinking about how stupid she felt for not even being able to select just a few things to say.

A plan began to formulate in Alison's head. She would confront Emily after school—or well, after Emily's swim practice. But what was Alison going to do for that hour? French club wasn't really an option, because she had so strictly vetoed the idea from Amanda just a minute earlier. Alison abruptly stopped pacing to face herself in the mirror. She would figure out what to do for that hour, but she knew that she had to talk to Emily _today_, and since coming to her house would probably be the worst idea ever thought of, this was Alison's only opportunity.

Emily pushed herself hard during swim practice. Aria and Hanna had invited her during lunch to go see a movie with them after school, but unfortunately, Emily was practically on house arrest for running from her house the previous night. That was maybe what was stressing her out the most—the fact that she couldn't even get away from her mom for more than a school day.

Trying to work off most of that stress in order not to blow up at her mom later, Emily pushed herself to the limit. She beat the time she had swam the previous day, which technically brought her higher than Paige. Since the competition order had already been decided, though, it didn't make any difference other than to let Emily know that the next time around, she would be fine.

After swim, Emily casually reminded a few people that elections for president were the next day, and then she changed into clean clothes and dried her chorine soaked hair as best as she could. As she found herself walking out of side door of the natatorium, like she used to every single day after swim, she felt the stress of returning home rising up in her again. It had been four days since she'd been back, and already, she was dreading going home.

In Texas, it was almost as if Emily had learned to just accept that her mother hated her. Pam Fields, however, had chosen to believe that once Emily was away from Alison, she was no longer a lesbian. They had fallen into this sort of pattern—a sort of don't ask don't tell. Being back here, though, changed it all to the way it probably would have been had her mother not run at the first sight of a challenge.

And ultimately, that's what it came down to. Pam Fields was a coward, and Emily Fields did not want to turn into that.

Despite her suddenly newfound confidence and strength, Emily stopped short as her eyes fell on a certain blonde. "Can I talk to you?" Alison asked, a slight edge on her voice.

Emily narrowed her eyes slightly, and Alison gave her a look that said to follow. Then the blonde took off toward the back of the natatorium, and Emily realized where it was that she was going. Although parts of Emily's brain screamed at her to not go with Alison, she couldn't really help it as she followed the blonde back to that spot they had accidentally met at the previous night.

Emily saw Alison's backpack sitting neatly on the ground against the wall, and Emily dared to drop her own backpack next to it, in case this took long. She hoped it wouldn't, though, because she might have to make up an excuse for being home late to her mom.

"What's up?" she heard herself asking the blonde.

"I want to talk to you," Alison explained in not much of an explanation, nodding slightly as if nodding more to herself than to Emily. Then her head shook a little bit. "Actually, I need to talk to you."

"Go ahead," Emily said, sliding her hands into her jean pockets and forcing herself to ignore the fact that they were starting to perspire.

"I'm sorry for getting you in trouble last night," Alison blurted out. Emily's face twisted into a look of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, surprised at how firm her voice came out.

Alison shrugged. "I saw you leaving the school, with your mom. She was pissed because of my car."

"At least she didn't know if was your car," Emily muttered, lifting her gaze up before letting her eyes drop into a roll. "It's fine, though. She would've been pissed no matter where I'd gone."

"Did you run away from your house last night?" Alison asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes, for the second time in the first week of being back. It has to be a new record," Emily muttered, shaking her head.

Alison shrugged. "If it makes you feel better, so did I. Only, I went out my window." Emily was aware that her face displayed all of her disbelief as Alison's eyebrows furrowed. "What? You don't think I would sneak out my window?"

"So I'm guessing that's why you were wearing sneakers and a sweatshirt," is all Emily said in response, not answering the question. Alison let out a light laugh that surprised the brunette, but was not at all unwelcome to Emily's ears. "Anyway, I need to go."

Alison shook her head. "Wait, no, don't…"

"Alison, I need to leave. My mom is going to kill me if I'm home late," Emily stated firmly.

"I… I don't know what to say to you, Emily," Alison whispered out, and it took Emily a second to realize what she was talking about. Their past. Their feelings for one another. Emily felt something like rage building inside of her.

"Okay, what does that mean?" she snapped. "Alison, I'm way too stressed out to deal with this right now. I told you, whenever you figure out what to say, say it. But until then, I just can't."

"Wait—"

"No, I can't wait anymore!" Emily interrupted, her voice coming out angrier than intended, simply because her feelings were hurt. Yes, she wanted Alison to say whatever she needed to whenever she knew what it was, but she needed to say it soon. Emily was fighting with herself about Alison, and every second that she waited for her to say something to her was an extra second that her war could continue. "I have to go."

"Emily," Alison muttered weakly, but Emily just shook her head, running her hand through her hair. She was about to turn away, to grab her backpack and leave, just like that.

And then, out of nowhere, Alison took one long step toward her and collided their lips together. Every piece of Emily's body suddenly burned with something she hadn't felt in three years. Alison's lips moved fiercely against Emily's, and the latter had no problem reciprocating. She had been waiting for this for years.

Her hands instinctively rose up to tangle into Alison's hair. The hairspray made it not as soft as it would've been, but Emily couldn't focus on that while Alison's lips were on hers. Alison hands were on Emily's stomach, up under her shirt. Emily wasn't sure when that had happened, but it just felt so good, that she really couldn't bring herself to care.

Feeling herself moving backwards, Emily pulled one of her hands out of Alison's hair to catch herself against the wall. As the wall caught some of her weight, Emily felt her legs turning to jelly. Her entire body was sparking and burning, and Alison's body getting closer and closer wasn't helping. Alison tilted her head so that they were kissing the other direction now, and then suddenly their lips disconnected.

Before Emily could even open her eyes, Alison's soft but determined lips were on Emily's neck, assisted by her teeth and tongue. Emily felt her eyes roll upward into her head. Alison's hands were still under Emily's shirt, touching her abs and her waist. Emily couldn't think of anything but Alison's hands and lips on her body, and her center began to throb almost painfully.

Using the grip she still had in Alison's hair, Emily gently tugged the blonde's head back up to level with hers, and their lips joined together again. This time, though, their kiss was all teeth and tongue. Desperate, almost.

It was the sound of someone walking behind the natatorium that broke them apart. They stayed just as close to each other, in fact the only part of them that broke apart was their lips. No one would come into this little area if they didn't hear anything. Soon, the sound they had heard had faded away.

Neither of them moved to kiss again, though, and after staring into Alison's eyes for a minute, their heavy breathing aligning, Emily lowered her gaze. Alison took that as her cue to carefully pull away. Their bodies no longer pressed together, Emily felt her breathing start to return to normal. She also felt a strong disappointment, though.

"Ali…" Emily's voice trailed off after using the nickname that Alison had told her not to use. She got no objection, though. Still, she had no idea what to say.

And for the first time in three years, Alison gave Emily a completely genuine and sweet smile. "You better go home, before your mom sends out a patrol."

Emily just nodded, her voice still tied up inside of her, and grabbed her backpack. She slung one of the straps over her shoulder and began to walk away.

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><p><strong>Holy guacamole! That kiss... *heart eyes emoji*<strong>

**Please let me know your thoughts in a quick review :D Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this and I'll follow you back c: **

**I have a fun little story to tell you today! c= So, one of my really good friends is a swimmer on a team where I live, and she's always talking about her team and their practices et cetera (yes I just spelled out etc, shoot me). She always used to mention "the natatorium", and tbh I had no idea what a freaking natatorium was, but after awhile I just assumed it was where they practiced. So, when I started writing AU High School Emison (i.e., this story + one I haven't posted yet), I was like okay, so Emily swims in a pool... in a natatorium...? And I googled the word and made sure it was used right and I felt like so proud of myself LOL. That, however, is not the point. It's become one of my favorite words, and today, I was talking to my swimmer friend and she mentioned the natatorium, and I was like "You know, I didn't even know what that was until you started talking about it" and she was like "Yes! I'm spreading swimming knowledge!" and I was just like "I'm using it in my Emison FF now so anyone on there is also getting your swimming knowledge spread to them!" and so shoutout to my swimmer friend (who doesn't read this FF so she will never know she got a shoutout, and whose name I won't tell you bc secrecy is the way to go) ! Yay swimmer friend for expanding my knowledge!**

**Have a great day my lovelies! I have to eat dinner and then go to my acting class c= Love you all! Please review!**


	13. Thirteen

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay loves! I had a crazy week, and I've been absolutely exhausted! I'm sorry to leave you sort of hanging after that wonderful kiss in the last chapter ;) **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! (So close to 200 :D)**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way?_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas?_

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment._

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><p>Alison found herself pacing in the little space behind the natatorium, unsure of what she should be doing right now. What felt like millions of thoughts were whizzing around her mind, and she couldn't seem to grasp a single one. She wished that she could at least text Emily, but she didn't have her phone number.<p>

Shaking her head, Alison recalled that Emily's mom had taken her phone away anyway. Whether or not Alison had her number, it wouldn't do any good. Alison inhaled deeply. She still felt intoxicated from that kiss, like if she got behind the wheel she would be putting herself in danger of driving under the influence. The influence of what? Emily.

It had not been her plan to kiss Emily like that, or kiss her at all actually. She had planned to simply talk things out, but again, words had escaped her. Honestly, she was so glad to have done it, though. When Alison had forced herself to move on from Emily, she had also convinced herself to never think of what it was like to talk to Emily, to be around Emily, to hold her hand… to kiss her. Now that she had kissed her, though, Alison was only a little surprised at how she was suddenly so drawn to her. She wanted so badly to see Emily again, and maybe to talk this time around.

Her phone chirped, indicating that she had a text message. Biting her lip, she retrieved it from her pocket and read that it was from Mona.

**From Mona- I'm going to call you! XOX**

Mona always did that. She sent out warning texts in case you had any objection to her calling. After a while, though, she forgot to give you time to respond, and this case was one of those, because Alison's phone started to ring almost immediately after the text came in.

"Hey, Alison! I thought we could hit the mall! French club just got out, and I just realized that after your Jimmy Choo pumps snapped, we still haven't gone after anything new yet!" Mona reminded Alison, sounding hopeful. "The other girls are busy, so it would just be us."

"Sure, Mona," Alison agreed, simply because she needed a distraction from thinking about Emily. "I'll meet you at the mall."

"Great! Au revoir!"

Alison hung up her phone and sighed deeply as she looked at her backpack sitting against the wall. She scooped it up and headed around the building toward her car.

"You're a few minutes later than normal," Pam commented as Emily walked inside.

"Don't shoot," Emily muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Practice just ran a little late. And I would have called and told you that, but I still don't have my phone."

Pam narrowed her eyes. "You can have it back tomorrow morning, as long as you don't sneak out or something tonight. Got it?"

"Got it," Emily answered. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Alison!" Mona called, waving her hand as Alison walked toward the front of the mall. "So I just saw that there are these great sales at Nordstrom! Should we check it out?"

Alison forced a smile. "Let's."

Upon arriving in Nordstrom, Mona steered Alison toward Nordstrom excitedly. "So, when you break a pair of five hundred dollar Jimmy Choos, do you replace them with Jimmy Choos or with something more expensive?"

"I guess it depends on what we find," Alison answered, shrugging. She wasn't exactly excited about buying any new shoes.

After about ten minutes of looking, and vetoing ideas from Mona, Alison bit down on her lip and picked up a pair of small, less expensive, Salvatore pumps. "What about these?"

Mona's eyes widened. "Are those even designer? Alison, they're like an inch off the ground."

"Right," Alison agreed, trying to keep a steady tone of voice as she set the pumps back down. Mona picked up another tall pair of heels. They were gorgeous yes, but Alison didn't need, or really want, them.

"Come on, Alison," Mona whined. "These Valentino's are just calling your name. They're rock studded, too, how could you pass them up?"

"They're a little above my price range," Alison answered, rolling her eyes.

Mona raised her eyebrows. "They're only five hundred more than the ones that broke."

"Yeah, you're right," Alison agreed, even though inside she was saying the same thing with a very sharp, sarcastic edge. "But you know, none of these are on sale."

Mona shrugged. "So what? Come on, get the Valentino's!"

Alison took a breath. "Hey, Mona, I'm going to run to the bathroom, alright? I'm not feeling great."

A frown appeared on the smaller girls face. "Oh, are you alright?"

"I'll be right back," Alison promised, before turning away from Mona and the tons of shoes lining the walls and shelves. She left Nordstrom and headed across the mall to the nearest bathroom. Places like Nordstrom always smelled weird, like everything in it had just come out of a clothing factory, which realistically, it had.

"Look who it is," came a voice that Alison would rather have not heard. Paige McCullers.

The blonde turned on her heel, a tight lipped smile appearing on her face. "Pigskin," she chimed in greeting. Paige's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Shopping at the mall all alone?" Paige asked bitterly.

"I'm with Mona," Alison snapped back. "What about you? I don't see any of your swim buddies with you. But, then again, I guess most of them don't even like you very much. Especially with that new Emily girl around."

"Wow, you actually know the new girl's name," Paige commented, ignoring everything else. Alison ignored the slight flare of panic she felt in her chest.

"She did land me in detention," Alison snapped. "It's important to keep tabs on your enemies. I'm sure that you know all about that, though, considering how many you have."

"I bet you think that you're so impressive every time you insult me, but the truth is, I can take it all. You're the one who flinches when I jab at you," Paige growled.

"Oh yeah? I don't really recall that ever happening," Alison argued, though she was freaking out inside. Paige was the only one at Rosewood High who had the guts to challenge Alison, and sometimes, it was very fear instilling.

"Maybe that's because you don't even know that you're flinching," Paige suggested, raising an evil eyebrow. "All I know is that there's something about you, Alison. And I know that eventually, it'll _come out_."

Alison felt her face harden significantly. "It takes one to know one, huh? I don't think Daddy McCullers would like to hear what his daughter likes to do in her free time."

Now, Paige stood completely still, as if she'd been petrified. Alison felt guilt stirring in her stomach. Yes, she had always had suspicions that Paige was gay, but she hadn't ever suggested that directly to her. And she would never out Paige, that she knew. She couldn't. Not when she was a little bit gay herself. To her, that would be the height of hypocrisy and cowardice. Still, giving the empty threats made her feel sick to her stomach. "You wouldn't," Paige growled.

"Are you calling my bluff?" Alison demanded, holding her ground. Paige immediately shook her head left and right.

"No. I won't say anything," Paige muttered.

"Good. I would hate for this to get out of hand," Alison finished, standing up straighter and turning away from the bathrooms.

Paige coughed slightly behind her. "But thanks for the confirmation. I guess I was right."

Alison didn't even flinch. Whether she had confirmed being interested in girls or not, Paige would have believed it and told people it forever. It didn't make any difference, especially not when Alison knew for sure now that Paige was also gay.

Pulling out her phone, Alison headed for the mall exit.

**To Mona- Really not feeling good. Going home. See you tomorrow. XOX**

**From Mona- Feel better :C XOX**

Emily woke up the next morning feeling very excited. It was Friday, the day of the swim captain voting, and she was also getting her phone back today. Despite her mom's annoying tactics, Emily was just happy to get her phone back. Maybe now she could get her friends' numbers.

"Good morning, sweetie," Pam called as Emily came downstairs. "Your phone is on the table."

Emily grinned, grabbing her phone from said table. "I'll be home after school. See you, mom!"

"Alison!" Alison heard her mom calling. "Can I talk to you?"

"Um, sure," Alison answered, looking up from the low fat cereal she was eating in the kitchen. "What's up?"

"I would like you to show up to school on time, starting today," Jessica DiLaurentis stated simply, pursing her lips. "I know you said that it's not an issue with your teacher, and that's good for you, but I just saw that you got a D on your last government test. That tells me that you aren't getting all of the information you should be learning when you're out getting breakfasts during school hours."

"Mom, that test was practically rigged," Alison interjected. "Almost everyone failed!"

Jessica's hands went up defensively. "I'm sorry, sweetie. But you need to start acting like an adult anyway. I think we can both agree that you've had your time to play. Now you need to get ready."

"Ready for what?" Alison demanded.

"Graduation, college. Speaking of which, you do know that college applications are due in a month, right?" her mother demanded.

Alison swallowed thickly and nodded, even though college was something she hadn't even allowed herself to think about. She had no idea what it would be like to leave this life behind and go on to college. All she knew what that it scared the crap out of her. Her college apps were still sitting in her room, and her essays were still unwritten.

"Alright, well, you should be off to school if you're going to make it before the tardy bell," Jessica stated, and Alison just gave a meek nod. Her mom had never asked much of her, honestly. They'd always had a decent relationship, and really, Alison treasured it. She wasn't going to object to going to school on time and jeopardize it.

So ten minutes later, Alison strutted into school with everyone looking at her. No doubt that they were wondering what the hell she was doing here on time. She was starting to wonder that as well.

Her government teacher didn't question it with more than a brief glance, but the class definitely did. They were all whispering to each other, and Alison felt herself getting self conscious. She did her best to shoot glares at anyone looking at her weird, but it didn't help much.

Second period was better, because no one really acknowledged her at all except for leaving her seat open like normal.

It wasn't until third period that her day went to hell.

Firstly, she was already focused on not looking at Emily. She wanted to talk to her, yes, but not in front of people. She could feel the brunette's eyes on her, however, which didn't help with the self conscious feeling still inside her.

After making it a few steps into the room without looking at Emily, Alison stopped short. Some jackass was sitting in her seat. And he wasn't new. In fact, he had gone to Rosewood High for three consecutive years. He knew how the hierarchy worked.

"Get out of my seat," she snapped at the guy.

"Nah, I like it here," he refused, shrugging nonchalantly.

Alison raised her eyebrows. "Who the hell do you think you are? Get the hell out of my seat."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it's school property, not Alison property," the guy said, shrugging. Alison felt her stomach twisting up inside of her. She could feel every pair of eyes on her. Ignoring that, though, she focused all of her energy in her glare.

Alison made a habit of knowing the names of everyone in her classes, and at least one bad thing about all of them. There were few times that she had pull one on a classmate, but this was looking to be one of those cases. "It's Kevin, right?"

Kevin shifted uncomfortably in Alison's seat.

"I'll take that as a yes. Look, Kevin, you can stay there and make me sit somewhere else, or you can let me sit in my seat. It's your choice, but you should probably at least remember that I can ruin you," Alison reminded him in a fierce voice.

"Oh yeah, and how would you manage that?" Kevin demanded.

"Well, I could start by making a call to your mother about something that happened in English class _last_ year," Alison answered, shrugging. "That would be a pain in the ass to bring up again. Don't you think?"

Kevin coughed, grabbing his bag and getting out of Alison's seat. Relief washing over Alison, she sat in her seat and dropped her backpack next to her. She caught Emily turned in her seat, looking at her with unreadable eyes.

And just like that, Alison hated herself again. She hated what she had just done, and she hated herself for doing it.

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><p><strong>What do we think Emily thinks of Alison right now? :c And btw, before anyone asks, I will not give away when their next kiss will be *cough cough Sabrina cough cough* ;) :P :D<strong>

**Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter in a review or a PM! Speaking of PMs, I'm sorry for my lack of answering them recently. I'm actually about to go and answer all of the ones I have c: Ohh, also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this story and I'll follow you back :D**

**I would have updated this yesterday, but my Friday was crazy. I woke up the same time as normal on a school day (which by the way is five thirty in the freaking morning) and went to school and then after school, went home for a total 40 minutes (during which I was getting ready to go out again) and then went to a choir party that was going on yesterday. After that, (it ended at 10) I had to stay after like twenty minutes to clean up, and then when I got home, I finally got to eat a real dinner and then I was too tired to do anything lol. So don't blame me ;P**

**Have a great day my lovelies! Please review c:**


	14. Fourteen - Halloween

**A/N: I have a special surprise for you my lovelies! I know that you are all eager to find out what is happening next in this story, but for now, since I really wanted to do a Halloween Chapter and probably won't update again until after Halloween, I decided to post this now and delay the next real chapter... This is a special, All-Flashback, Halloween Chapter c: It's not incredibly long, but it's sweet and I think it tells a lot about Emily and Alison in the past...**

**Oooh shoutout! 200th reviewer was... badadada... user Firemoon777 ! Thank you for reviewing c; Thank you all for reviewing actually. It means so much to me when you guys review! Ah Love you!**

**I hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_Come on, I promise that you'll have fun," Alison pleaded, smiling a hopeful smile at her best friend. Sure, Alison was confident that she could convince Emily to do anything, but that didn't mean that those things wouldn't take some pleading. "Em, it's not going to even be that scary!"_

_"__Maybe not to you," Emily muttered, shaking her head. There was no way that she was going to any spooky Halloween parties or haunted houses. She hated Halloween, because she hated how freaked out she always got. Even if Alison was going to be there, Emily had a feeling that her best friend would just try to scare her even more._

_"__Emily," Alison whined, pouting her already so adorable lips. "You can't make me go alone or _I'll_ get scared."_

_"__Then we both won't go. We can stay home and watch funny scary movies and laugh instead of scream," Emily reasoned, though she knew it was in vain. She couldn't say no to Alison, not without feeling horribly bad, anyway._

_"__Please," Alison begged, grabbing Emily's hands and squeezing them. Emily let out a sigh as her eyes naturally rolled at her best friend._

_"__Fine," she agreed. "Why is the haunted house tomorrow, though? Halloween isn't until next week."_

_"__Well obviously, it's tomorrow so that we can still go trick-or-treating next week," Alison answered, releasing Emily's hands._

_"__Do we even want to go trick-or-treating? Do freshmen even still do that?" Emily asked. Being new to high school, she still wasn't sure what exactly was no longer a "high-school thing"._

_"__Of course they do. It's an excuse for everyone to stuff their face with candy and to scare little kids," Alison reasoned. "It'll be just as fun as it was when we were littler, except now, the people passing out candy will actually give us the big chocolate bars since we're in high school."_

_Emily just smiled. "Whatever you want, Ali."_

_Alison smiled proudly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Emily."_

_That night, Alison found herself crawling into her bed and wishing that her hands were still wrapped around Emily's. It hadn't ever really occurred to her how soft Emily's hands could be—maybe even softer than her own. It actually scared her a little bit, to feel the way she felt herself starting to feel… in fact, it scared her a hell of a lot more than a little bit. She was terrified._

_Saturday found Alison at Emily's house at eight in the morning, shaking her awake. A groan emitted from Emily. "What the heck, Ali?"_

_"__Get up! We have to go buy costumes for the haunted house tonight!" Alison exclaimed, as though it were obvious._

_"__How the hell did you get in here this early on a Saturday?" Emily muttered, sitting up as Alison sat herself down on the end of Emily's bed._

_"__Your mom gave me a key weeks ago, Em," Alison answered, smirking. "Now, get up and get dressed, we need to go shopping!"_

_"__How do you suppose we do that?" Emily questioned. "Need I remind you that we still can't drive?"_

_Alison's expression fell as she sighed. "You make a valid point. Do you think your mom will get up and take us to the mall?"_

_Emily gave Alison an "are you serious?" look. "Have you met my mother?" Emily grumbled. "She hates Halloween even more than I do." Alison sighed and collapsed backwards across Emily's bed._

_"__We have to dress up. It's a Halloween Haunted House," Alison groaned, sounding genuinely disappointed._

_"__What did you want to dress up as?"_

_Alison thought for a second, and then she smirked. "I saw a Black Widow costume online the other day. I could probably pull it off, even though I'm not nearly as flawless as Scarlett Johansson." Alison actually had been interested in that costume, though she had mentally labeled it as too obviously sexy. Alison didn't really like drawing too much attention to herself, especially if it meant people would think she was a whore._

_"__I can see it," Emily teased. "We'll have to call Marvel and tell them we found a perfect Black Widow."_

_Alison felt her cheeks heat up as she laughed. Her hand rose to one of her warmed, pink cheeks as she sat up. Dropping her hand as she looked to Emily, she sighed. "So what are we going to do for costumes?"_

_They spent a good portion of the morning going through Emily's wardrobe and turning whatever they could find into costumes. The end results weren't perfect or really anything specific, but they were pretty impressive—considering that they came from Emily's closet._

_After their costumes were picked, it was past lunch time and they managed to convince Mrs. Fields to drop them off at the Grille, with their costumes in bags. That way, they could walk to where the haunted house was whenever they felt like it._

_They had lunch and spent the afternoon just walking around the middle of Rosewood and hanging out. When it was time to go to the Haunted House, and it was starting to get dark, they changed into their costumes and headed toward the park where the whole Haunted House was set up._

_It was more of a Halloween Carnival with a Haunted House at its center—something that Emily desperately tried to avoid. She dragged Alison to play nearly every carnival game with her in the hopes that it would get late and they wouldn't be able to go to the haunted house. Alison, though, had a different idea. She really wanted to go into the haunted house at least once and, of course, she wouldn't go without Emily by her side. After much arguing and batting of eyelashes, Alison finally got Emily to tag along with her into the haunted house._

_Emily full on braced herself as she walked into the Haunted House, Alison by her side. It started off silent, which Emily recognized as not a good thing. Only a few steps in, she began to hear creepy noises coming from around them as they followed the directed path. Light were flashing, revealing that the setup was actually intended to look like an old, creaky, haunted house. That did nothing to ease Emily's fear._

_She wasn't sure when she had started shaking, but she did know that whenever it was that Alison took her hand, she stopped. After about ten minutes of slowly making their way around fake dead bodies and skeletons and ghosts and trying to ignore the creepy sounds of witches laughing and people screaming, Emily was sure that it was almost over. They opened a door into another room that was brightly lit, and as soon as they closed the door, the lights went off completely._

_Emily, in complete honesty, was terrified, and gasped so loudly that it may well have been a scream. She had no idea which way out was as Alison started to lead her into the room. "Come on, Em, it's not that scary. It's just a dark room."_

_They heard spooky wind sounds, like ghosts almost, and Emily clenched her jaw to try and keep herself from whimpering. Nevertheless, Alison noticed that Emily was so scared, and suddenly, she was being pulled toward what she presumed to be the side of the room. Once they stopped, Alison took both of Emily's hands in her own, like she had the previous day._

_Emily could barely see Alison's lips move as she started to talk. "Don't be so scared. None of it is real."_

_"__I know," Emily muttered, "but it's still terrifying."_

_"__What about it is so bad?" Alison wondered out of her pure curiosity and the hope that she could somehow make this less scary for her best friend._

_"__I don't know. Not having any control over what's going on, I guess," Emily admitted, looking around in the darkness and wondering if anyone else was around. Not that it would matter, though. No one at Rosewood High really even knew that Emily or Alison existed._

_"__Sometimes it's good when we don't have any control," Alison said slowly, suddenly aware of how close her body was to Emily's. They weren't even an arms length from one another._

_"__No, I think it sucks to not be in control," Emily argued. "You have no control over how you feel, or how you react, or what anyone else does. What bothers me the most is the first one, though. I don't have any control over how I feel when I'm scared or how I display how I feel. Maybe it's just because I hate feeling lame because I'm scared."_

_"__I don't think you're lame," Alison whispered, smiling and pulling Emily slightly closer to her. Now, their fronts were almost completely touching, and Emily noticed the proximity as well. Instead of making her any sort of uncomfortable, though, she felt her breath quicken its pace. "Plus, I promise you that you secretly love to not be in control."_

_"__What are you talking about?" Emily asked._

_And that's when it happened. Emily felt soft, warm lips press softly and tentatively to her own, and her eyes flickered closed by instinct. Emily moved her lips back against Alison's slowly, and that seemed to tell Alison that this was okay. The blonde pushed her body completely against Emily's, giving them both tingles even though they were completely clothed. Alison's arms wrapped around Emily's waist and fiercely moved her lips against the brunette's._

_Emily had felt her friendship with Alison evolving, but she hadn't thought about what it would feel like to do this. She tried to kiss Alison back as firmly as Alison was kissing her, but then the blonde poked her tongue out of her mouth and into Emily's. Emily was not in control at all, and she couldn't have cared less. All that mattered in that moment was Alison and Alison's hands on Emily's body._

_And for the first time in her life, Emily felt strangely whole._

_For the first time ever, but definitely not the last, Emily let herself be taken over by Alison DiLaurentis in their kiss. In that dark room in the middle of the haunted house._

_For the first time, Emily felt a feeling in her chest like she was falling, but in the best way possible._

_Like maybe, she was falling in love._

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><p><strong>Short, Sweet, Spooky ^.^ #EmisonHalloween<strong>

**Please leave a review or a PM with what you thought, and please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me to let me know how you liked the #EmisonHalloween and I'll tweet you back! Also, I follow back readers (tweet me that you read this) c: Also, if you tweet me with #EmisonHalloween , I will give you a shoutout bc you're cool.**

**I'm super tired, and I want to go to bed early (It's like two hours earlier than I normally go to bed yassss lol) sooo...**

**Goodnight lovelies! Please review c: And Happy early Halloween :) Going to tweet a pic of my Redcoat outfit on Friday ;) xx **


	15. Fifteen

**A/N: Hey lovelies! I would have updated last night, if it weren't for my stupid computer. I felt really bad for slow updates lately, though. So here I am, giving you an extra chapter (I'm now only 3 chapters ahead). I'm posting this from my phone too, so excuse the short A/Ns..**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!:)**

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><p><em>"What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified.<em>

_"Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way?_

_"Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe. And frankly, she had no problem with Alison and Emily being themselves._

_"Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas?_

_"Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on here, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for._

_"Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde. When her daughter had come home distressed, following by a frantic Emily, Jessica had not been sure what to expect._

_"No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her._

_"You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat. She loved Emily like a daughter, but there wasn't anything she could do._

_"Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything._

_"Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment._

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><p>"How are things at la casa de Fields?" Spencer wondered as Emily walked with her to the cafeteria.<p>

"I don't even know," Emily admitted, shaking her head. "I got my phone back this morning, but if I make one more bad move… who knows what'll happen? Oh, but speaking of phones, can I have your phone number? I don't have anyone's number here yet."

Spencer let out a chuckle and held out her hand for Emily's phone. As they continued walking toward the cafeteria, Emily suddenly saw Alison walking the other direction, toward the front of the school. Their eyes found each other's for a second, but Emily immediately averted her own.

"Come on," she rushed Spencer, taking her phone back from the girl as she continued to the cafeteria at a faster pace.

"Okay, so I get that you have history with you know who, but does that really mean you have to run away from her the second you just see her?" Spencer asked, rolling her eyes. "I mean, you do have a class with her, so…"

Emily huffed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Wait, did something happen yesterday? Or today?" Spencer asked, lifting her eyebrows with curiosity.

"I don't want to talk about it, Spencer," Emily repeated, shaking her head. "I just want to go to swim practice, find out that I won the vote for team captain, and then go home."

"Well, you have my number now, so if hiding at home doesn't solve your problems, you're welcome to text me about whatever is bothering you," Spencer muttered, rolling her eyes as they sat down.

Emily sighed. "I'm sorry, Spencer. I just can't talk about you know who right now."

"Who is you know who?" Hanna's bubbly voice suddenly asked, plopping down next to Emily, with Aria sitting down next to her. "Are you two keeping secrets from us?"

Her voice was all playful, but Emily still felt uncomfortable. "No one," Emily answered, shaking her head.

"So, Spence," Aria started, seeming to startle Spencer, "how is your campaign for senior class president going?"

"Wait, you're running for senior class president?" Emily asked, looking at Spencer, who nodded.

"Yeah. It's going fine. The competition is steep though," she answered, shrugging.

"Well, if anyone can wiggle her way into president, it's definitely you," Hanna chimed, smiling sweetly at the brunette. Emily looked between Aria and Hanna and Spencer. She knew why they started drift apart, but she still didn't know why Spencer didn't seem to like being around them, and why when Aria and Hanna drifted back together, why Spencer didn't. Emily was actually beginning to itch with curiosity.

Aria and Hanna made most of the conversation for the rest of lunch, with Emily and Spencer speaking only when spoken to.

After lunch, though, Emily didn't let Aria leave right away. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Aria nodded. "Sure."

"What exactly happened between you, Hanna and Spencer? I mean, I know about the Alison thing, but…" Emily's eyes were looking at Aria expectantly, and the other girl suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"You have to ask Spencer," Aria said slowly, before biting her lower lip nervously. "Sorry… I just can't tell you on her behalf."

Then Aria was gone, and Emily was left feeling even more confused than she had before. Letting out a long sigh, Emily started to her fifth period. She had waited longer than usual to leave the cafeteria, so most people had already dispersed from lunch to their classrooms.

All except, by whatever evil twist of fate, Alison and one of her probable posse members. "Is there really a difference between gelato and ice cream?" Emily heard the second girl ask Alison, who shrugged.

"One is Italian?" Alison was shoving her backpack into her locker and retrieving only her wallet. "Come on, we have to leave before the bell."

Emily tried not to scowl upon realizing that Alison was ditching school for gelato with this girl. Also, she tried really hard not to feel jealous. Taking a deep breath, she continued walking back toward her fifth period.

Alison hadn't noticed that Emily was around until she saw her walking past her and Amanda. "Um, Amanda, give me a second, will you?"

Amanda followed Alison's gaze. "Who is that?"

"She's the girl that got me in detention," Alison said in a rush, needing to catch Emily before she turned into the next hallway. "She just overheard that we're ditching, and I need to make sure she doesn't try to tell anyone."

Amanda only had time to nod before Alison was taking off after Emily. Despite her heels, she managed to catch up to the brunette without running. "Hey," she called in a not too loud voice.

Emily froze and turned around. "What?"

"We need to talk," Alison answered, narrowing her eyes slightly. She reached forward, grabbed Emily's wrist, and pulled her into the nearest bathroom. Luckily, no one was there.

"There's nothing to talk about Alison," Emily snapped.

Now, Alison felt anger bubbling inside of her. "What do you mean that there's nothing?" she demanded. "Don't you remember yesterday?"

"Yes I do," Emily answered, stiffening. "I remember that you still didn't know what to tell me, and you can't force me to keep listening to your filler stuff. When you know what to say, say it. I can't do this."

Alison caught Emily's arm as the brunette tried to walk past her to the door. "Wait, Emily. I do have something to say."

Emily stopped and turned to face Alison again. "Okay, so say it."

"I still have feelings for you," Alison stated. Though she sounded totally fluid as she spoke the words, she felt stiff inside. Terrified. Like someone might hear her. "Okay?"

Now, Emily looked petrified, as though she hadn't expected Alison to say anything of importance. "Oh…" she breathed out. "I-I…"

Alison waited patiently for Emily to say something.

"Alison… we can't be what we were," Emily stated. Alison gave her an incredulous look. "First of all, I can't handle anything that's a secret. Second of all, every time I start to think that you're honestly still the person I remember, you do something to screw it up."

Emily was vividly imagining third period earlier, when Alison had threatened that guy sitting in her seat about something he'd done last year. Alison could tell that's what she was thinking of. "Emily, you can't expect me just to fall away from all of this. This has been my life for two and a half years!"

"Yeah, I've heard all about it," Emily agreed. "I know what you did to Spencer and Aria and Hanna. I know that you did something to Paige."

Alison found herself standing on the defensive now, which always made her feel incredibly nervous. "Okay, yes, what I did to Spencer and Aria and Hanna was bad. I knew that they hadn't made up that rumor, but I didn't know who had, and I just needed to look like I was brave. Yes, I used them. But they're fine now."

Emily shook her head. "You can't just shrug that off. I'm their friend now. And what about Paige? What kind of nickname is Pigskin?"

Alison's icy blue eyes narrowed. "Okay, you can't be mad at me about _Paige_. She has done just as many bad things to me as I have to her. Everything I have ever said to her has been a retaliation to something she's said to me. _She's_ the one who started that stupid rumor about me liking girls, alright?"

"The rumor that you so _rightly_ denied?" Emily asked sarcastically.

Alison steeled her expression. "That wasn't easy for me, Emily! I was all alone after you disappeared. I didn't have _anyone_!"

"You could have had Aria and Hanna and Spencer until you threw them under a bus," Emily argued.

"There you go again, picking apart my life! I'm not perfect, Emily! You of all people should _know_ that!" Alison exclaimed, before taking a deep breath to calm herself.

And just in time, too, because the bathroom door suddenly flung open behind Emily to reveal Amanda. "Alison, we…"

"Yeah, I was done here anyway," Alison snapped at Emily, before pushing past her and leaving the bathroom with Amanda.

Emily stood in the bathroom, baffled at what had just happened. Alison had said the one thing that Emily had wanted her to, but Emily had done the one thing she had promised herself she wouldn't do. She had become a coward. Sure, she was mad at Alison for being a bitch to people, but she couldn't expect that all to go away just like that. Yet, she had wanted to find some kind of excuse to keep Alison away.

Immediately after Alison left, too, Emily regretted everything she had said. The worst part, though, was that Emily had no way of contacting Alison besides going to her house…

Which meant that today after swim, she would be taking a little trip to Alison's house.

Emily was stressing out about it for the entire rest of the day, even when she got to swim. She made sure to vote for herself for team captain before changing and getting into the pool, but even submerged in cold, relaxing water, she was still stressed out.

In fact, it wasn't until the end of practice that Emily felt any sense of relief. When Coach Fulton came out of her office holding up her hands. "Alright, team, I finished counting the votes. Our team captain is… by three votes… Emily Fields!"

Applause rang out through the natatorium, and Emily felt herself glowing with pride. Practice was over then, and Emily found herself practically bouncing with happiness as she entered the locker room to change. Paige approached her almost immediately. "Congrats on the vote."

She was holding out her hand, expecting for Emily to shake it. Forcing herself to smile, Emily shook Paige's hand. "It was a fair fight."

"Yes, it was," Paige agreed, before turning and walking off. Trying not to roll her eyes, Emily changed into dry clothes and left the natatorium, heading for her car.

The feeling of nervousness inside her stomach did nothing but grow as Emily drove to Alison's house. When she finally got there, she made the point of parking in between the Hastings and the DiLaurentis house.

Walking up to the front door of the house that had practically served as her second home when she was younger, Emily took a shaky breath. She forced herself to calm down as she raised a firm fist to the door and knocked. It was about thirty seconds later that the door opened to reveal Jessica DiLaurentis.

"Emily!" the woman exclaimed, a smile appearing on her face. "Gosh, it's been so long! Alison mentioned that you were back!"

"Hey, Mrs. Di," Emily greeted as she smiled, but before she could say anything else, Alison's mother was ushering her inside.

"Can I get you anything? I made cookies earlier if you'd like one," Jessica offered. "Ooh, or how about some of that peach tea that I used to make you and Alison?"

Emily felt her stomach twisting up inside of her. "I'm okay, but thanks," Emily said, smiling. "Um, is she here? Alison, I mean…"

Jessica just looked at Emily for a second, before shaking her head. "No, she's out with friends I think. Why?"

"Oh, I just forgot the English assignment, and she's the only one in my English class that I know," Emily lied, shrugging. "It's fine, I have all weekend to figure it out, so. I better go, though."

"Are you sure?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, though, Mrs. Di!" Emily chimed, smiling and then turning to head for the door.

"Emily, wait," Jessica called, stopping Emily. "Why don't I give you Alison's number?"

"No, it's really fine," Emily insisted, but Jessica's head was shaking.

"Can't have you failing English a week into you being back," Jessica pushed, giving Emily a small smile. Emily just nodded and allowed herself to take out her phone. She opened a new contact and typed out Alison's name, slowly.

"What's the number?" Emily asked, her voice strained. Jessica recited Alison's cell phone number, and Emily thanked her, before leaving the house. What was she supposed to do now? Call Alison? She only saw one way that would end.

Instead, she got back in her car and pulled up a text message to the blonde.

**To Alison DiLaurentis- Behind the natatorium. 20 minutes. We need to talk.**

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><p><strong>Likee? Please let me know your thoughts... Sorry for all the drama (not really, it's fun ;P)<strong>

**Have a great day lovelies! Meanwhile, I'll be at school!**


	16. Sixteen

**A/N: Hello lovelies! Last night, I had a huge surge of power and inspiration for this story, and since have not been able to get ideas out of my head. It's actually quite wonderful, because usually when I slow down updates, I begin to lose inspiration. It just keeps building though, and I am super excited to share everything I have planned with you :D So I finished a chapter this afternoon, so ta da!**

**Remember lovelies, review 250 gets a shoutout c:**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way? Couldn't she at least listen to what Emily had to say first?_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe. And frankly, she had no problem with Alison and Emily being themselves._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas?_

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for. Emily could hear her mother cursing under her breath at Alison as she got into the passenger seat of the car._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde. When her daughter had come home distressed, following by a frantic Emily, Jessica had not been sure what to expect._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat. She loved Emily like a daughter, but there wasn't anything she could do._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment. The first one that came to her mind was "I'll miss you"… but she knew that there were more._

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><p>Emily stared at her phone for another minute, wondering if Alison would see the text, or if she would answer if she did. And then, she saw it, the little word <em>delivered<em> changed to _read_. She let out an exhale, and set down her phone. If Alison read it, and decided to come to the spot, then Emily would want to already be there.

She didn't get a text from Alison on her whole drive back to the school, nor when she parked her car in the almost empty parking long and walked behind the school to the little spot that she had discovered Alison crying in two days prior. Alison wasn't there yet, so Emily leaned against a wall and waited.

She paced for a while. Ten minutes passed. Twenty. It had been almost hour since Emily had texted Alison when she began to lose hope. Alison wasn't coming. She probably read the text and then deleted it. She was probably pissed off at Emily for picking apart her life and expecting too much. Alison had finally allowed herself to be vulnerable, and Emily had hardly even acknowledged it.

After briefly considering leaving, Emily forced herself to sit and wait for just a little bit longer. She knew that it wouldn't do any good, but she waited even longer.

She was sitting on the ground, her knees against her chest, practically shivering from the cold, when someone started into the corner. It didn't sound like someone wearing heels, because it wasn't. Alison appeared in the spot, wearing old sneakers and the same hoodie she had been wearing when Emily had found her here on Wednesday.

"You're still here," Alison commented, raising her eyebrows a little bit.

Emily nodded, standing up. "I don't know why I waited."

"I don't know why either," Alison admitted, shrugging. "I know you said you wanted to talk, but can't we just kiss again? We're so much better at that than talking."

Emily felt a pressure in her chest. Guilt, shame… it all pushed on her, and she hated it. "I'm sorry," Emily said, her voice soft. "You didn't deserve what I said earlier."

"What? The part about the fact that I'm a bitch, or the part where the reason that I don't have any real friends is all completely my fault?" Alison snapped.

Pursing her lips, Emily stood there silently for a moment before meeting Alison's eyes again. "Everything. I'm sorry. I was scared, and the only thing that seemed to be able to fix it was doing something to keep this from happening."

"What is _this_?" Alison asked, her voice softer now.

Emily's shoulders lifted up and then dropped down in a shrug. "I don't know. I know that I still have feelings for you, but… I don't know what it means."

Alison felt her breath catch in her throat. Emily did still have feelings for her. Unfortunately, she wasn't sure what that meant either. What were they going to do? Forcing herself to say something, though, Alison opened her mouth slowly. "So, are you not grounded anymore?"

"Nope," Emily answered, sighing. "I think my mom is tired of yelling at me. And frankly, I'm tired of yelling at her. She just doesn't get it."

"What doesn't she get?" Alison asked quietly.

Emily shrugged. "Anything. She still thinks that she can control who I am."

"I'm sorry," Alison whispered.

Shrugging again, Emily muttered, "It's not your fault." Both girls stood silently for a moment, neither sure of what to say. Finally, Emily let out a puff of air. "Alison, I can't not talk to you. I can't pretend like there's nothing in between us."

"Well good, because I can't either," Alison agreed, nodding slowly.

"I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't bother me that you're not always this epitome of sympathy… but I'm not going to pretend that I don't like you at all." Emily felt pressure being lifted from her shoulders and her chest as she spoke.

Alison took a slow step closer to Emily, who didn't really notice. "Okay."

"And if something actually happens between us… I would understand if you didn't want everyone to know, but… I would need certain people to know," Emily continued.

"Okay," Alison repeated, taking another step closer. Sure, she was sort of freaking out about this whole situation, but presently, all she could think of was Emily standing so close to her.

"Like Spencer for example. And my mom. She's never going to come around unless she knows that I'm actually acting on who I am, instead of just repeatedly telling her it's who I am," Emily finished. Alison nodded in agreement, taking a final step toward Emily. Now, Emily finally noticed how close they were. She could feel Alison's breath merging with her own. It was finally started to get cold outside, a little bit late in the year, but with Alison so close, Emily only felt warm.

"Anything else?" Alison whispered, and Emily's heart began to beat faster as she shook her head. And just like that, their lips were together. She wasn't sure who it was who had initiated it, but she couldn't really care less as she felt Alison's lips moving fiercely against hers.

All of their thoughts were whisked away as their mouths became one, tongues and teeth and all. Emily's entire body was burning for Alison, just as it had been the day before. As Alison began to push her backwards, though, Emily decided that she wanted to have some control of what was happening, and she pushed Alison the opposite direction, until they were on the other side of the square shaped corner area. Alison let some of her weight fall against the wall as she pulled Emily's body against hers.

Despite their clothes, they couldn't get any closer to one another. Emily's hands wandered down to Alison's ass, and she felt Alison moan slightly as she did so. It caused a shudder of anticipation to ripple inside of Emily, whose hands ventured a bit lower until they were on Alison's thighs. She found herself gripping on them, and Alison gasped into her mouth.

Alison felt herself fueled with desire, and she pushed forward into Emily's body, causing them to turn around until Emily was against the wall and Alison was on the outside. Every ounce of her body demanded her to touch Emily—everywhere. Her desire was above any level she had ever felt before.

Her hands slipped under Emily's shirt, and as she touched along her abs, she let her thigh move in between Emily's. Emily's moan wasn't stifled at all as Alison pulled her lips away from the brunette's in order to move them to Emily's neck instead.

"Alison," Emily moaned, her head rolling back as Alison sucked on her skin. The sound of her name coming out of Emily's lips like that fueled Alison with even more determination, and she trailed her lips down further, past Emily's collarbone. She quickly reached the fabric of Emily's shirt, though, and she had to return to the soft lips that she loved.

As their tongues twisted together again, Alison gently grinded her thigh into Emily's center.

Emily was the one, though, who gently and yet firmly pushed Alison away from her. "We can't do this. Not yet."

Alison felt her head move up and down as she nodded. She wasn't going to make Emily do anything. They were both breathing very heavily by now, and Alison wasn't sure if she had ever felt this alive in years. Biting back a wide grin, Alison took Emily's hand and pulled her down until they were both sitting on the ground next to each other.

"Did you get swim captain?" Alison asked softly.

Emily just looked Alison. "How'd you know about that?" Alison just gave a sly smile in response. "Yeah, I did. Paige probably hates me now, though."

"Well, then it's a good thing that nobody actually cares what Paige thinks," Alison pointed out, and getting a nod from Emily. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, by the way. I couldn't just abandon Mona and the girls. They would have been beside themselves."

"Are you like… actually friends with them?" Emily wondered, hoping that her tone didn't come off too judgmental sounding.

Alison shifted her gaze away from Emily. "Two of them I can barely even remember their names, but… Mona and Amanda are kind of my real friends, I guess. I mean, I don't tell them a lot of stuff, but besides the fact that they act like dolls most of the time, I think they actually care about me. They can always tell when I'm upset, and even if I don't tell them why, they always want to cheer me up."

Emily felt a smile appear on her face, because despite what she had originally thought, it seemed like Alison did have at least two people there for her. "I remember Mona from freshman year. She was on the rise from the bottom, but she wasn't ever mean enough to make it to the top."

Alison smirked. "Yeah, she gets way too hung up over fashion to do real damage sometimes. Sometimes it's actually kind of funny. She has a real eye for shoes, though. She's the only person who has ever gotten me to notice the difference between something designer and something fake."

Emily raised her eyebrows. "You can do that?"

"Yep," Alison answered, shaking her head as she let out a light laugh. "I know that I'm not really this whole person I pretend to be, but part of me really has changed, you know? That's why they say 'fake it until you make it'… because if you fake it enough, sometimes you will change."

Emily nodded slowly, although a pit appeared in her stomach. She obviously didn't expect Alison to be exactly the same as she used to be once she let her bitchy persona wash away, because even Emily had changed. But she was almost a little scared to see how exactly Alison had truly changed over the years.

Suddenly, Emily's phone went off. Biting her lip to suppress a sigh, she retrieved it from her pocket and looked at who was calling. Spencer. "Go ahead, pick it up," Alison said suddenly, and Emily nodded, answering the phone.

"Hey, Spencer, what's up?" Emily asked, avoiding eye contact with Alison as she spoke.

"Aria told me that you asked her about what else happened between us all. The thing I told you was a different story," Spencer admitted, and Emily suddenly felt guilt swarming in her stomach like bees.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked her about it. I just really don't get what happened," Emily apologized, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. She was starting to get really cold, but she couldn't really do anything about it.

"Well, I want to tell you, before someone else does," Spencer admitted.

"You mean like Aria or Hanna?" Emily asked, shaking her head slightly. "They weren't going to tell me anything."

"No, I mean like _anyone_. From Alison to the biggest loser at school," Spencer answered, causing Emily's eyes to snap up to Alison's suddenly.

"Wait, what exactly happened if just anyone would know about it?" Emily demanded. "Spencer…"

"I'll tell you, okay? Where are you? Field Hockey ran really late, and I see your car in the lot. Are you in the natatorium?" Spencer asked.

Now, Emily's eyes widened significantly. "Um, yeah, I'm in the natatorium."

Alison's eyes widened now as she realized what exactly was going on. She mouthed to Emily _"Weren't you going to tell her?"_. Emily frowned and mouthed back, _"Later."_ "Okay, I'll come in there, then."

"No," Emily snapped. "Um, I'm actually leaving anyway. Just wait in front of the building, I'm coming out the side door, so give me a minute."

"Okay," Spencer agreed, and then the line ended. A sigh escaped Emily's lips, because she really didn't want to listen to what happened with Spencer right now. In fact, most of her body was telling her to just kiss Alison forever right now.

"What are you guys talking about?" Alison asked slowly as she stood up, getting Emily to stand up as well. "Why'd you look at me like that?"

Emily shook her head. "Spencer is getting around to telling me what exactly happened to her that caused her not to want to be friends with anyone. Apparently, everybody knows."

Alison pursed her lips. "Yeah. Everyone does. I would tell you but…"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Spencer is going to tell me," Emily stated, shaking her head slightly. "I have to go. If I take too long getting up there she's going to walk around to the side of the building and realize that I'm not actually in there."

"Okay… can I see you tomorrow?" Alison asked hopefully.

Emily stared at Alison for a moment, and she suddenly had a moment of déjà vu. It was like they were freshmen again, so scared and yet excited about their newfound feelings for one another. "I'll text you," Emily answered, smiling a small smile at Alison.

"Okay," Alison agreed. They both stood there, perfectly still, for a moment, before Emily gave in to temptation and stepped forward, placing her lips on Alison's softly. Alison's hands went to the back of Emily's neck, pressing their lips together more firmly.

Emily pulled away though, a few seconds later. "Bye."

"Bye," Alison breathed out, and then she watched Emily rush out of the corner. As Alison leaned against one of the walls, terrifying thoughts crept into her mind. She imagined everyone judging her. She imagined Paige gloating. She imagined Mona and Amanda giving her horrified looks. She imagined everyone she used to be able to control with a single look laughing at her and ignoring her. She imagined herself shrinking back to the bottom of the social ladder, where no one even knew who she was.

That's what could potentially happen if she chose to be with Emily. And she was terrified of it.

But no matter how scared she was, she wasn't going to bail on Emily, not after today. She felt like they could be good together, really good. Alison just had no idea how long they could be together before Emily would push for Alison to tell people, and that scared the hell out of her.

Though large parts of her brain were screaming at her to abandon Emily and not threaten to throw away what she had built for herself, she was determined to be with Emily. Emily was the only thing that had ever felt truly right in her world.

The only thing.

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><p><strong>YASSSS EMISON MAKEOUT SESSION YAS YAS YAS YAS YAS YAS *chorus of happy squealing*<strong>

**Alright, before I say anything, I need to readdress this issue with me saying "It's my story and I'll do what I want". This is MY story. I take MY time to write it. It's MY decision to share it with you. So YES, I will write it the way that I, ultimately, want to. But, NO, that does not mean that I won't take the time to read all of you reviews and take all of your input into my thought process for this story. PLEASE do not think me a horrible person for openly admitting to the fact that should you suggest something I don't agree with, I will not put it into my story. Writing for me is about doing what I love to do, and that means that I will write what will make me love what I'm doing. I still read every review and take note of all of your opinions! Thank you to those who understand that!**

**That said, I hope you will take time to review so that I can see how you've liked this chapter :) I know that lots of you love the flashback, and others of you don't, but don't worry, I will be incorporating some new stuff as we go :) Bare with me c:**

**Have a great day lovelies! Please review!**


	17. Seventeen

**A/N: Hey lovelies! Another update flying your way - because like I said previously, I have just recently gotten so much inspiration for this story. *heart eyes***

**You all made my day yesterday(and today) with your reviews to my story. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. It astounds me every day that I have so many people supporting me and my stories. I could not be where I am now without all of you and I want you to know how thankful and grateful I am to you all.**

**Speaking of which, I've got a nice little shoutout to give c: 250, woohoo :) And it was... badadadadadadada user NoPros ! Thank you for reviewing lovely! Seriously, though, some of your reviews made me smile and gush over you people. Lots of love from me :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified. All she could think about was losing the one constant in her life—the one person she'd known would always be there for her._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way? Couldn't she at least listen to what Emily had to say first?_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe. And frankly, she had no problem with Alison and Emily being themselves._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas? Alison didn't think she could go through that… and to think, just earlier they had been in their own perfect little word, kissing each other as though there was nothing that could stop them._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for. Emily could hear her mother cursing under her breath at Alison as she got into the passenger seat of the car._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde. When her daughter had come home distressed, following by a frantic Emily, Jessica had not been sure what to expect._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her. In fact, she had literally about to say that to Emily when a certain Pam Fields had unceremoniously walked in on Emily and Alison in a slightly compromising position._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat. She loved Emily like a daughter, but there wasn't anything she could do._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything. She just wanted to feel Emily's lips on hers, and to list all of the feelings that Emily ignited when they kissed._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment. The first one that came to her mind was "I'll miss you"… but she knew that there were more._

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><p>"Hey," Emily called, approaching Spencer. "Sorry, I had to finish something up."<p>

Spencer shrugged. "It's no problem. I just… really wanted to tell you what I'm going to tell you in person." Emily nodded slowly, looking carefully at her friend. What was Spencer hiding? "Junior year, as I'm sure you know, is always the most stressful year of high school. It hit me really hard last year. I started to get into a sort of funk. I would procrastinate until the last minute, and then rush all of my work in one night."

Emily just nodded slowly.

"I had this friend… well, sort of friend, on the student council with me. He had a problem with getting really groggy during the day, and his doctor had given him all of these pills to stay awake," Spencer continued. "And I started buying. First, it was just from him, and when he told me that he couldn't risk it, I found a new source."

"You were addicted to pills?" Emily asked slowly, furrowing her eyebrows slightly.

Spencer nodded. "At one point, I totally blacked out and literally passed out, I was so tired and the drugs were messing with my head. When I came to, I was at the hospital. My mom was there, and she told me that it was Aria and Hanna who had found me. They'd been trying to rekindle our friendship, you see, so they'd come by my house. I don't know why they came inside, but they found me and called 911."

"So… they found you. What about that makes them so bad?" Emily asked, shaking her head slightly, because she didn't understand.

"Aria had accidentally mentioned my hospitalization to her boyfriend at the time. She, of course, hadn't known how much of a douche he was. He basically told the entire school about my problem. Most people didn't even care—it wasn't like I was well known or anything. But, I cared. I was so ashamed of what had happened to me that I pushed everyone away. Aria and Hanna included. Once, when they came to see how I was doing at my house, I yelled at them and I got into this huge fight with them. I told them that they hadn't helped me at all with getting me help and that it was their fault…" Spencer shook her head, letting out a shaky breath. "I don't like what I said to them. But once I said it, they got the message and left. And I hadn't spoken to them since… until you dragged them over to have lunch with us."

"Wow," Emily breathed out, shaking her head. "That's…"

"Crazy?" Spencer asked, her head bobbing in a nod. "Yeah, it is. I just felt like you should know, before someone else told you."

"Like Alison," Emily repeated what Spencer had said on the phone. Spencer sighed slightly and nodded.

"Yeah. I just figured she probably still doesn't like me very much," Spencer muttered, shrugging.

Emily shrugged. "I don't think she would've told me."

Spencer's dark eyes rolled. "Yeah, because she's the model of good citizenship." Emily's gaze rested stiffly on Spencer. She wanted to tell Spencer about what had happened between her and Alison so badly, but she really wasn't sure how she wanted to say it. "Okay, Emily, I told you that, now spill."

"Spill about what?" Emily asked, trying desperately to play innocent.

"You know what and you know who," Spencer answered, shaking her head. "You were so weird when you saw her at school today. Tell me."

Emily sighed. "Can we go somewhere else? Your house, my house, I don't really care. It's cold out here."

"Sure, my place?" Spencer asked, and Emily nodded, relieved. For one, she figured that Alison was waiting for Spencer to disappear so that she could come out from behind the natatorium without being really suspicious. For another, Emily was still freezing.

They split up to take their separate cars to Spencer's house, and Emily tried to calm her nerves as she drove. Though she had a slight idea of what was going on between her and Alison, she was still pretty clueless about the whole thing. Alison had agreed to Emily telling multiple people though, so that had to be a start.

At Spencer's house, they made themselves coffee before going up to Spencer's room to talk without the possibility of anyone overhearing them. "Okay, so time for you to start talking. What happened yesterday?"

"Alison kissed me," Emily answered simply.

Spencer's eyebrows shot up. "What? When? Didn't you go straight home after swim practice?"

"Yes. But not before Alison pulled me aside to talk," Emily answered, letting out a light sigh.

"To _talk_, my ass," Spencer muttered, rolling her eyes. "So what happened?"

"I talked to her earlier, after lunch. I got all pissed at her about everything, and… it wasn't pretty," Emily started, wondering whether or not she should tell Spencer the rest.

"And then?" Spencer asked, her eyes widening in expectation.

"I felt really guilty and bad about the whole thing. So then I apologized after school, and we both just… mutually agreed… that we're going to try something," Emily explained slowly. She was terrified that Spencer was going to judge her for this, or refuse to be her friend on the grounds that Emily was in some sort of relationship with a girl who had possibly ruined Spencer's life.

"Try what? Dating?" Spencer demanded, as though it were an incredulous thought. Emily shrugged.

"We haven't put a label on it," Emily answered. Spencer shook her head in obvious disbelief.

"You've been back here for five days," Spencer reminded Emily in a cold voice. Emily clenched her teeth, because she really just needed someone to support her right now.

"You wouldn't understand, Spencer. You don't know Alison at all," Emily insisted, shaking her head.

"Well I know what kind of shit she has done," Spencer piped up, her eyebrows raising in the heat of the moment. "To me, to people she doesn't even know… she's not a good person."

"You didn't know her when I knew her. And you don't how she is when she's with me," Emily argued, shaking her head.

"I thought you said she was being a bitch to you?" Spencer demanded.

"She was scared, alright? I was scared. Have you ever been torn away from someone you cared about that much for three years?" Emily questioned, staring Spencer down. The other girl didn't answer, and they both stood there silently for a few minutes. Finally, Emily stepped back and shook her head, letting out a sigh. "I know what I'm doing, Spencer."

"I hope so," Spencer muttered, "for your sake."

Emily just bit down on her tongue and turned around so that she was facing away from Spencer and was instead facing the window. Suddenly, her head snapped up as she saw Alison walking past her own window across the yard. She stared hard at the now empty window as Spencer did whatever she was doing behind her. Emily was willing Alison to walk past the window again, but she didn't know why.

And then Alison did, and by some miracle, she looked up. Blue eyes locked into the gaze of brown ones.

"So… do you want to do something?" Spencer asked from across the room.

Emily opened her mouth to respond, but she couldn't look away from Alison.

"Emily?"

Emily forced herself to tear her gaze from Alison's and turned around to look at Spencer. "Actually, I should probably get home. I'm not grounded anymore, but I don't think my mom wants me out too late."

Spencer nodded slowly. "I'm sorry that I'm not all supportive about you and Alison. I'm just worried about you."

Emily nodded. "I know. Thanks. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Spencer said, smiling.

Ten minutes later found Emily entering her house. She didn't hear anything in her house, but she saw her mom curled up on the couch in the living room, her laptop on her lap. Emily hesitated, but then she entered the room. "Hey, mom. I made swim captain."

Pam Fields looked up at her daughter and a smile broke out onto her face. "That's great, honey. Congratulations."

"Are you okay?" Emily asked. "You sound upset."

Pam shook her head slowly. "You know what I told you? About setting up a meeting between you and Pastor Ted?"

Emily pursed her lips, before opening her mouth to respond. Before she could get a word out, though, her mom was speaking again.

"I'm not going to do it," she answered. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since yesterday. I thought about everything that you've said. I even went on those parent support groups, and looked up every single study I could… By no means am I happy about who you are, Emily, but I can't change it, because it's just that. Who you are."

Emily found herself smiling. "Thank you, mom."

Pam nodded slowly. "So here are the rules. If you have any girls over, whether they're just friends or not, no closed doors. If you're staying over at anyone's house, I want to know who it is and where they live. Got it?"

"I've got it," Emily confirmed, biting down on her tongue. She was happy that her mom was finally at least accepting that Emily couldn't change who she was—but at the same time, she still felt like her mom hated who she was. She hadn't yet said otherwise. "I'm going upstairs. I have homework."

That was true, but Emily didn't go upstairs to do her homework. Instead, she found herself sprawled across her bed, staring at the one text texting conversation she had with Alison. She was desperately trying to decide whether or not to text Alison again. She wasn't even really sure what they were doing. Sure, at the time of deciding it just an hour and a half before, it felt perfect and right. But now, after talking to Spencer and just processing, she wasn't sure how good of an idea this was. Sure, she still had feelings—maybe even a lot more than she realized—for Alison, but did she really want to instantly jump into some sort of relationship with her? Alison may not have changed as much as it first seemed, but she had changed somewhat. And the more Emily thought about it, so had she.

Emily had become harder over the years. Harder to crack, harder to impress, harder to please. Maybe that had been her mother's doing, or maybe it had been her own. Whichever, she had changed, even if just slightly. Rushing into this thing with Alison was not going to be easy, that much she knew.

Finally deciding to resist temptation, Emily sat down her phone and laid her head down on her pillow. She needed a distraction from the real world.

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><p><strong>Sorry it's a bit on the short side... Also, before someone says something about it, please do not think that I've just dismissed Pam and her issue with Emily's sexuality. By no means is Mrs. Fields done with her part in this story. And yes, I will eventually come to what happened three years ago when Pam made the decision to destroy her daughter's life.<strong>

**Likee? Lovee? Hate? Please let me know in a quick review! :D Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this and I'll follow you back! :D**

**Hmmm do I have any good stories... nahh... mmm... well, I do have happy news! So it's officially been decided that for my choir pop show at the end of my school year, I shall be singing the Glee S2 Version of Valerie with my friend =D (that friend is also my swim friend who taught me the word natatorium haha) I know this is a PLL fic but seeing as both of my Glee fics are a little bit on hold right now... I feel no regret in fangirling over the fact that I'm going to sing a Glee version of a song at a choir concert! Woo hoo! Hmm... have I got anything else...**

**For any of my Glee readers here, though, Dantana specifically... I have made a promise to update Somewhere Only We Know during my Thanksgiving break (Nov 21st-30th)... I don't know when in the break, but hopefully when I do update it, I'll get some motivation. It isn't about inspiration, because I literally already have the entire rest of the story planned... just need to get the motivation. Same goes for IDDA, I have the plan but not the motivation. You can blame Ryan Murphy and Fox for postponing Glee to January.**

**Have a great night my lovelies! I love you all so much! Please review c:**


	18. Eighteen

**A/N: Surprise surprise! No, not the update, but the flashback... Every few chapters from now on, I will replace the normal flashback with something that reveals another bit of Emison's past together. They're more fun to write anyway ;) **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_Ali?" Emily called, glancing around the empty natatorium. It was getting late, and she wasn't exactly sure why the building hadn't been locked up yet. In fact, she wasn't even sure why she was here. Alison had texted her with explicit instructions: meet at the natatorium in ten. Ten minutes later, and here she was, but no Alison. "Alison?"_

_Suddenly, Emily felt two hands touch her waist and for a second, she tensed up and inhaled sharply—sure that some murderer had stolen Ali's phone and lured her here. It didn't take her long to recognize the touch, though, and completely relax as Alison slid her arms completely around the brunette. "Hi," Alison murmured, eliciting a smile from the other girl._

_"__Hey," Emily replied, melting into Alison. "What are we doing in here?"_

_"__There's a debate competition happening in the cafeteria, so the whole school is unlocked for another hour at least," Alison explained as Emily turned herself around in her arms. They were now kissing distance apart, but Emily waited for Alison to finish talking. "So I figured that we could meet in here, since it's so cold outside."_

_Emily smiled, naturally leaning forward until her lips pressed softly against Alison's. Every time they kissed, Emily's insides jumped around with excitement, and her knees threatened to give way. Thankfully, Alison's grip around her waist was firm and protective. Emily loved that. Emily carefully pulled her lips from Alison's. "As long as we don't have to swim. I'm sore from practice."_

_Alison smiled softly, and her hands moved up from Emily's hips to her neck, where she rubbed Emily's muscles carefully. The brunette let out a relieved sigh at the feeling._

_"__Speaking of which, where were you at practice today?" Emily asked, tilting her head slightly._

_A wide smile appeared on the blonde's face, and she pulled away from Emily to fumble with the pocket of her hoodie. When her hand emerged from it, she was clutching something. Emily felt a smile creeping onto her face. "I got us something."_

_Emily watched Alison unfolded her fist to reveal two carefully sewn, purple bracelets, with their names embroidered on each individual one. Dropping her own back into her hoodie pocket, Alison reached for Emily's wrist and pulled it up, before carefully clasping the bracelet. "It's awesome, Ali. Thank you."_

_Alison smiled and took hers back out. "Can you put mine on for me?" Emily couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she took the bracelet from Alison to carefully lock it onto her wrist. _

_They both admired the bracelets for a moment, and then Emily pulled Alison closer to her again, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss. When they pulled apart, Emily raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "You'll definitely be a practice tomorrow, though, right?"_

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><p>Emily woke with a start, finding herself staring up at her ceiling. She didn't remember falling asleep. Letting out a sigh, she pulled herself up and grabbed her phone, checking the time. Ten. Not too late.<p>

As she stood up, she wondered about her dream—or well, memory. She often let herself think of the times before, when she and Alison were inseparable and free from the pressure of the real world. When they were themselves. Never, though, had she had just a vivid flashback. Maybe it was kissing Alison again that was bringing it back.

Shaking her head, Emily went to her closet to find a change of clothes. She was wearing the same she'd worn to school the previous day, and it would not be on point to wear it again today.

Dressed in a new outfit, Emily found herself sitting on her bed and wondering what to do with her first weekend back in Rosewood. She thought about texting Spencer, but vetoed the idea. Instead, she did as she'd promised Alison and texted her.

**To Alison DiLaurentis- Hey. –Em**

Setting her phone down next to her and not getting her hopes up that Alison would respond instantly, Emily forced herself to stand up and pace the room a bit. She looked over her newly unpacked room. Though she was actually in the same house as she'd lived in previously, the room was different. More suited for a senior than it had been before, when she was a freshman.

One thing that hadn't changed was the shelf next to her desk. It was still covered in photos and random trinkets. Emily found her eyes landing on her old jewelry box. She didn't make a habit of wearing much jewelry, and she couldn't recall the last time that she had opened that box. Inhaling carefully, she approached the shelf and opened the jewelry box. A few necklaces and rings were loosely dispersed in the top of it. It wasn't supposed to be one of the jewelry boxes that had multiple levels, but years earlier, Emily had used her dad's pocket knife to carve into the jewelry box.

It wasn't visible with a cursory glance, but upon inspection, one would see the edge that had been cut more than the rest. Emily pulled up on that area, and the top layer of the box gave away. Below it, in a little carved rectangle shape, was a purple bracelet with Emily's name embroidered onto it. She had nearly forgotten its existence over the years.

She took it out of the box, rubbing the course fabric between her fingers as she closed in the rest of the jewelry. Suddenly, a beeping emitted from Emily's phone, and she found herself rushing back to her bed, bracelet in hand, to get to it.

**From Alison DiLaurentis- Can we meet at my spot?**

**To Alison DiLaurentis- When?**

**From Alison DiLaurentis- Now.**

**To Alison DiLaurentis- Yes.**

Inhaling nervously, Emily latched her newly found, old bracelet onto her wrist. She felt weird wearing it again, and the coarse fabric felt foreign against her skin. Yet, the feelings it brought back to her were almost overwhelming. She wasn't sure why she had dreamed of the day when Alison had given this to her, but she was really glad she had.

Emily ran into her bathroom to touch up her face and brush out her dark hair, but then she was out of the house, in her car, and on her way to the school. Despite her conflicted feelings on this entire situation, she wasn't going to pass up time with Alison. Plus, she was sure that eventually this whole thing would untangle itself—like she would find the one string in the mess that, when pulled, would allow all of the other strings to fall apart easily. At least, her hopes were high that she would.

Alison paced back and forth in the little space behind the natatorium. She was waiting for Emily, and she found herself full of jangled nerves. Parts of her mind were telling her to run away—to leave before Emily got here—but she knew that she couldn't. This had been her idea, and she would stick by it. At least, she would stick by it unless she had an extreme reason not to.

After what felt like a lifetime, Alison heard footsteps approaching the corner. She found herself freezing in place as she watched the entrance, and suddenly, Emily appeared, walking slowly.

"Hey," Alison spoke first, hoping that her nerves weren't entirely evident. She didn't want Emily to know how scared she was— how afraid she was to be with her.

"Hey," Emily returned, frozen in one spot after walking into the little corner. After a moment of silence, Emily shook her head. "This is so weird."

Alison nodded in a silent agreement, but then she forced herself to speak. "Did you tell Spencer? That we're… doing this… whatever this is."

"Yes," Emily admitted, her eyes glancing away from Alison. "She doesn't really think it's a good idea."

Alison frowned, but not because she thought about what Spencer thought. Rather, she knew that Emily cared what Spencer thought, and Alison didn't want Emily to give up on this before it could really even be started. "Oh."

Emily inhaled deeply and took a hesitant step further into the corner, and Alison noticed how her hands were shoved deep into the pockets of her jeans. She appeared to be just as nervous about this as Alison was.

"Do you think this isn't a good idea?" Alison forced herself to ask. Part of her suddenly wished that Emily would say that it was a bad idea, call the whole thing off, and then Alison wouldn't have to feel so scared. But then, thinking of living a life where she never spoke to Emily and only saw her in English class every day made her heart ache.

"I have no idea," Emily answered, shaking her head as though trying to clear it. "I can't even think straight about any of this."

Alison followed Emily with her eyes as the brunette took a few more steps into the area.

Emily looked up at Alison again suddenly, and words were coming out of her mouth, "Who are you going to tell? About… whatever this is?"

"No one," Alison answered truthfully. Emily narrowed her eyes slightly, and Alison felt defenses starting to erect themselves around her emotions.

"No one? Not even your mom?" Emily demanded.

"No. Not even my mom."

Emily looked frustrated. "Why not?"

"Because I don't know how long this is going to last, or what's going to happen, and I don't want to throw everything that I've built for myself away if it's all going to end in a week," Alison answered, trying in vain to not sound angry.

"Do you even like living in the life that you've built for yourself?" Emily demanded.

"No!" Alison shouted, before inhaling sharply and turning away from Emily. It seemed that all they could really do was fight and kiss. Alison paced for a moment, before turning back the brunette. "No, I hate it. But I'm sure I wouldn't hate it as much as having everyone mock me as I slip from the top of the social pyramid to the very bottom."

Emily's look of frustration dissipated into a look of defeat. "It's going to be just like freshman year."

Alison's eyebrows furrowed. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is," Emily argued. "Maybe even worse."

"Why worse?" the blonde demanded, her arms crossing over her chest defensively.

"Because at least back then, neither of us had anyone to worry about finding out besides my mom. Not to mention, neither of us had any social standing in freshman year," Emily muttered, shaking her head. Alison's blue eyes watched the brunette carefully. "I don't know if I'll be able to do this."

Now, Alison felt a surge of panic rise within her. She didn't want Emily to abandon this, because this was the most real that Alison had felt in years, and she didn't want to lose that. "Em, please," Alison found herself whispering suddenly. "Someday, I'll be able to tell everybody."

"And when will that be?" Emily asked. Alison opened her mouth to answer with a vague answer, but Emily kept talking. "You wouldn't know this, but at my school in Texas, I was actually out of the closet. Completely. One would think that it would've been really bad coming out in _Texas_, but I had a lot of people there that supported me. I don't think I want to go backwards."

Alison felt helpless as she saw a series of emotions pass over Emily's face. She had no idea what to say to keep Emily from leaving.

"Honestly, Ali, I just can't think of any good reason to do this. There's too many cons for me," Emily admitted, her eyes lowering to the ground.

Feeling a surge of anger, Alison felt herself charging forward at Emily, and she collided their lips forcefully. The instant moan that escaped Emily's mouth made Alison feel successful in her goal, but she kept at the kissing simply because it felt amazing every time Emily's lips were on hers.

Emily was kissing her back as though her life depended on it, her hands touching and dragging along the sides of Alison's body. Every part of her skin tingled as they kissed.

Alison pulled out of the kiss before it could escalate too much. "Is this not a good enough reason?" she asked Emily breathlessly.

"You're right, we really are so much better at that than we are at talking," Emily breathed out. Alison pulled away from Emily's body, her eyebrows furrowing, and Emily sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm scared, Alison."

"So am I," Alison found herself admitting. "Actually no, I'm terrified. But Emily, being around you is making me feel everything that I felt in freshman year all over again, and I can't lose you again."

Emily swallowed thickly. "I can't lose you again, either."

"So can't we at least give this a chance?" Alison pleaded. She reached down and took Emily's hands in her own. Emily's dark eyes looked down at their joint hands, and she found herself giving in.

"Yes," Emily answered, nodding, before pulling Alison closer to her and pressing their lips together again. This time, though, their kiss was soft and gentle—different than their other kisses had been. And for the first time in three years, Emily and Alison both melted completely into each other's embrace and felt strangely at peace.

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><p><strong>Haven't the time to talk, so I'll just leave it at that! Please review, though, because I'd love to know your thoughts on the flashback and the chapter!<strong>

**Have a great night lovelies!**


	19. Nineteen

**A/N: Clearly, I am in a writing spree for this story... Which is good. Hopefully I shall stay in it! c: I'm sorta sad - I didn't get a whole lot of reviews on the last chapter... of course, I won't let that stop me from writing and getting those of you who are reading a new chapter! But do remember, we're nearing 300 and 300th reviewer gets a shoutout c:**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified. All she could think about was losing the one constant in her life—the one person she'd known would always be there for her._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way? Couldn't she at least listen to what Emily had to say first? Emily mentally cursed herself for not having done something about this earlier—though she wasn't exactly sure what she would have done if she'd had the option to say anything at all._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe. And frankly, she had no problem with Alison and Emily being themselves._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas? Alison didn't think she could go through that… and to think, just earlier they had been in their own perfect little word, kissing each other as though there was nothing that could stop them._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for. Emily could hear her mother cursing under her breath at Alison as she got into the passenger seat of the car. How could her mom be blaming Alison, though, for who Emily was?_

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde. When her daughter had come home distressed, following by a frantic Emily, Jessica had not been sure what to expect._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her. In fact, she had literally about to say that to Emily when a certain Pam Fields had unceremoniously walked in on Emily and Alison in a slightly compromising position._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat. She loved Emily like a daughter, but there wasn't anything she could do._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything. She just wanted to feel Emily's lips on hers, and to list all of the feelings that Emily ignited when they kissed._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment. The first one that came to her mind was "I'll miss you"… but she knew that there were more. One stood out beyond all of the others, a handful of words that Emily had been waiting to say… a handful of words she may now never say._

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><p>"Mona is easiest to tolerate," Alison admitted, twisting her hands together in her lap as she looked at Emily. "Though, she can be pretty eccentric about some things. The thing about her is that she's actually pretty smart, even if she doesn't let people see it. But anyway, what were your friends in Texas like?"<p>

Emily smiled half of a smile. "They were fun. They convinced me to go to a Rodeo one year… something that I don't think I'll ever do again. I don't know. They were just really cool about everything, at least between us. They did have more drama than most of the girls here, though, I'll admit."

"You still talk to them all, right?" Alison questioned, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"I texted a few of them throughout the week… but we haven't all really talked since last weekend, when they helped me finish packing up all of my stuff. We decided before I left, though, that every Sunday were going to have a group video chat. So tomorrow," Emily answered, shrugging.

"Do they all ride horses around there?" Alison asked, smirking, even though she knew that they didn't.

Emily rolled her eyes as her lips cracked into a smile. Alison felt butterflies when she saw Emily smile, especially since she had caused the smile. "No, they don't. Aside from the fact that the majority of Texans are insanely conservative, they're actually pretty much just like everybody else."

"Did they at least all have big hair?" Alison asked, laughing as Emily rolled her eyes again and let out a laugh.

"Come on, Ali," Emily said, shaking her head. Alison smiled at Emily's use of her nickname. Suddenly, the pocket of Alison's jeans vibrated, and she frowned as she took her phone out of it. A text from Mona.

**From Mona- I'm calling! XOX**

"Oh, Mona is—" before Alison could finish talking, though, her phone went off. Giving Emily an apologetic look, Alison answered the call. "Hey, Mona, what's up?"

"What are you doing at school on a Saturday?" Mona questioned.

"Um, I could ask you the same question," Alison countered immediately, her entire body stiffening.

"There's a mandatory choir rehearsal today," Mona answered, as thought it were obvious. Alison, however, couldn't recall that Mona had ever been in choir.

"Oh, right. Well, I'm not actually at school… I uh, wanted to go to this thing today, and the only way to get to it was to tell my mom that I have a school thing all day," Alison lied, biting her lip as she waited to see if Mona had bought her lie or not.

"Oh, is it Noel Kahn's party?" Mona answered, her voice lighting up.

Alison bit her lip harder, and then released it to ask, "Are you going to that?"

A dramatic sigh emanated from the other end of the line. "No, I'm not. My mom got mad because I bought an extra pair of shoes this month. Therefore, no party."

"Oh, well… I'll put in a good word for you with Noel while I'm there," Alison promised, finally looking up at Emily, who was just watching her carefully.

"Aw, thank you, Alison! You're the best! Okay, I have to go! Have fun!" Mona exclaimed.

"Have fun rehearsing!" Alison chimed back, then hanging up the call. "Sorry. Mona saw my car…"

Emily shrugged. "It's fine." Then, as if by clockwork, Emily's phone began to ring, and she took it out of her pocket with a frown.

"Don't answer it," Alison groaned.

Emily looked at Alison pointedly. "You got one, I get one." She answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hi, Emily! It's Aria," came Aria's happy sounding voice.

"Oh, hi, Aria. How did you get my number?" Emily asked, raising a confused eyebrow, and then rolling her eyes at Alison as the other girl smirked.

"I managed to pry it out of Spencer," Aria answered. "So, you're not going to Noel Kahn's party tonight, right?"

"Um, no. I don't even know who he is," Emily admitted.

"Good! So you can come hang out with me and Hanna and Spencer tonight?" Aria asked hopefully.

"Spencer is hanging out with you guys again?" Emily questioned, confused and yet happy that Spencer wasn't shutting out her old friends anymore.

"Yep! We're all meeting at her house tonight at six and sleeping over. She has a barn in the back yard. We used to have slumber parties there all of the time. Please tell me you can come!" Aria exclaimed.

"I'll check with my mom, but I don't see why I wouldn't be able to come," Emily answered, actually feeling excited about tonight. "I'll text you for sure in a couple of hours."

"Okay! Bye, Emily!" The line ended, and Emily set her phone on the ground next to her, looking back to Alison.

"Sorry. Seems that I have plans tonight," Emily said, laughing lightly. Alison forced a smile, because she didn't want Emily to know that she was upset that she couldn't hang out with her tonight. Though, she was happy that Emily was friends with Spencer, Aria and Hanna. Despite having thrown them away when she'd had the opportunity to be close to them, Alison knew that they were trustworthy, and she wanted Emily to have trustworthy friends in Rosewood.

"You don't have to be sorry," Alison responded, shaking her head slightly as her forced smile relaxed into a normal one.

Emily's expression hardened slightly as she seemed to slip into a moment of deep thought. A second later though, her eyes jumped back up to meet Alison's and she smiled softly. "Maybe you should try to be friends with them."

Alison's eyes widened. "Spencer, Aria and Hanna?"

Emily nodded, following it with a simple shrug. She suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable about having brought up the idea—mostly because she had no idea what Alison would say.

After stumbling over a few short, purposeless beginnings of sentences, Alison finally decided on saying a simple, "I don't know."

Emily bit the inside of her lip, hoping that Alison didn't notice. "Don't worry, I get it," Emily promised, even though pieces of her were slightly angry at Alison. Emily knew, however, that she couldn't expect Alison to turn around and become a different person. It had been not even a full week. And really, for such a short time, Alison was doing pretty great. Great enough for Emily to be with her right now.

Suddenly, Alison's phone blinked, and her blue eyes fell down to the screen. Emily could see her jaw clench. "My mom wants me home. I missed dinner with my brother earlier this week, and apparently he's still in town. Time for a do-over I guess."

"How is Jason?" Emily wondered, forcing herself to stand up and then reaching a hand down to help Alison up. The blonde smiled as she took Emily's hand, and then she stood up without using the grip to help her. Emily didn't mind, though, because feeling Alison's hand in her own was enough to make her entire body tingle.

"Who knows?" Alison asked, shrugging. "I hardly see him anymore, since he's off at college. He visits dad more than he visits us anyway."

Emily tried not to frown too much. Before she left for Texas, Alison's parents had been just about to split up legally. Her brother had been a senior, preparing for college in Pennsylvania. More than one time in their freshman year, Emily had spent hours combing her fingers through Alison's hair as the other girl cried over her family falling apart. Now, Alison tried to act nonchalant about the fact that her parents never communicated beyond a child support check. She tried to ignore the fact that her dad hadn't even tried to fight for partial custody. She tried act like she didn't care that she hardly ever saw her brother. Emily knew, though, that it had to be tearing Alison apart deep inside. In the same way, actually, as lying to the entire world about who she was must be tearing her up. Or the guilt in her mistreatment of people.

And then it hit Emily, not like a slap in the face, but like a truck slamming into her. Alison was strong. Not just in the way she was at school, but in all ways. She kept her emotions in extreme check, and didn't show her pain. She was stronger than Emily was, even though through the past week, Emily had tried to tell herself that she was superior to Alison. Emily was weak in comparison to Alison. Sure, she had endured a lot, but Alison had endured much more. Who knows? If situations had been reversed, maybe Emily would have turned herself into a new person like Alison had.

"What are you thinking about?" Alison asked Emily as they turned the corner and started down the side of the natatorium.

Emily smiled at the girl walking next to her and squeezed her hand. "I'm happy that we're trying this, Ali."

The blonde's pink lips spread into a soft smile as she nodded. "So am I." They came to the edge of the natatorium, and immediately both released each other's hands. They're cars were on opposite sides of the parking lot. "I'll text you, okay?"

Emily smiled and nodded. "See you later."

Alison started off to her car, but Emily held back. After thinking a moment, she decided to slip into the natatorium and swim some laps. Feelings were stirring within her, and she needed time to think. So she went to the door, which she found unlocked, and let herself into the building.

In the locker room, she realized that the lights were all on. "Hello?" she called out.

She heard a gasp from one of the rows of lockers and, suddenly, Paige appeared. "Oh, Emily. You terrified me."

"Sorry," Emily apologized halfheartedly. "I didn't think anyone would be in here."

"Likewise," Paige answered. "I was just finishing up anyway, though."

"A bit early to swim, isn't it?" Emily asked, actually slightly interested in what Paige was doing here so early.

"If I'm gong to keep my time higher than yours, I have to practice more than you're practicing," Paige muttered, but Emily could tell there was something else going on with the girl. Emily knew that she had no place questioning it, but she found herself strangely curious.

"Paige, are you okay?" Emily questioned.

Paige looked at her with an alarmed look, and she nodded insistently. "I'm fine." She ran her hand through her hair, and then Emily realized—it wasn't wet.

"Wait, I thought you just said you finished swimming already," Emily commented.

"I did," Paige insisted, nodding.

"But your hair is dry," Emily argued. Paige blinked, and Emily knew that she'd caught her. "I can leave if you want to swim alone, Paige."

"No, I'm done here," Paige insisted, turning back into the aisle where her locker was, and returning with her purse in hand. "See you Monday, Fields."

Emily just nodded as she watched Paige leave the locker room. Shrugging off Paige's weirder than normal demeanor, Emily went to her locker to retrieve her swim suit. If Paige was leaving, then she was swimming.

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><p><strong>Mm what is going on with Paige? And who is excited for Em, Spence, Han and Aria slumber party? ^.^ I know a lot of you are waiting for a pure, fluffy, Emison chapter... the next one you get will be next week sometime - but I won't give any spoilers. But I can't promise a lot of fluff... this is an angst story after all.<strong>

**Likee? Lovee? Hatee? Please let me know in a quick review! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this for a follow back c: I love talking to you all on Twitter - even though I've been a bit MIA recently, but just DM or Mention me anytime and I'll answer you :) Same goes for PMing here on FF! c:**

**Mm, have I got anything funny to put down here..? Ooh, yes! Today, my school had a fire drill, but no one really knew it was supposed to happen, right? So, I'm in history writing this essay that requires extreme concentration. The room was dead silent aside from the pens scratching on the paper. I was sitting next to my friend, who was probably even more concentrated than I was, and then this stupid fire alarm goes off. Everyone in my class jumped up, or gasped, or both.**

**My friend, however, not only did he jump up, he exclaimed, "Shit!" and then proceeded to throw his pen into the air - and I freaked the shit out because he scared me more than the fire alarm had, and I liked squealed and dived away from the flying pen. And then we both started laughing and as we were going through the exit for the drill, I literally could not stop laughing like my abs were hurting. It was hilarious. XD **

**Hahaha okay yeah, so that's that. Also good news - finally came up with a decent idea for a story to write that isn't FF... ofc I can't tell any of you because maybe one day it'll be published ;P Haha, assuming I can make it through the whole thing without having it crash and burn like all my other attempts lol.**

**Sorry for that long A/N! Have a great night my loves! Please review!**


	20. Twenty

**A/N: Time for an update! Different flashback today! c: My Thanksgiving break has officially started, so hopefully quicker updates! Also, yes my Dantana shippers, I WILL update SOWK before next Sunday!**

**Time for a shoutout as well! My 300th reviewer was... Badadadadada... User Chichimerah! Thank you for your reviews - all of you!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"Do you really think they'll split up?" Emily asked, her voice as soft as it always was when she was speaking to Alison. Her fingers were combing through thick, curly, beautiful, blond hair. Alison's head was laying on Emily's lap, and they were huddled together in Alison's room. It was early November, and already quite cold out. Jessica DiLaurentis had just prepared for them hot chocolate, but neither girl had been in the mood for it after Alison filled Emily in on the latest problems with her family.<em>

_"They're living in two different houses," Alison muttered, sniffing. "I don't think there's even a doubt about it now."_

_"Maybe he'll come around," Emily tried, but she knew that nothing she could say would convince Alison to disbelieve the truth. And the truth was that Mr. and Mrs. DiLaurentis were splitting up—and a divorce was soon to come._

_"Doubt it," Alison muttered, her voice suddenly sounding colder. "He couldn't care less about her, or me, at this point."_

_Emily's heart clenched at hearing Alison sound so bitter and yet heartbroken about her dad, and she carefully combed her fingers through Alison's hair again, gently scratching her scalp. Alison, laying in one of her most favorite positions, let her eyes flicker closed as she enjoyed the feeling. While she really was wrecked by her father officially moving out, laying here with Emily made her feel much better. Finally, Emily spoke. "I think he's stupid for leaving you behind."_

_Alison couldn't help the gentle smile that split from her frown. "We should go swimming."_

_Emily raised an eyebrow. "It's cold outside."_

_"Not in an outdoor pool, Em," Alison said, playfully rolling her eyes as she sat up from her position. Emily suddenly missed the warmth of Alison's hair over her lap. "At the nat."_

_"Can someone even get in there on a Saturday?" Emily questioned._

_Alison shrugged. "The seniors are always talking about swimming there on Saturdays. The school is unlocked on weekends, isn't it?"_

_Emily shrugged. "How are we going to get there? I don't want to walk in the cold."_

_"Jason can drive us," Alison volunteered her brother, smiling. "Mom says that he owes me a ride anyway."_

_Fifteen minutes later found Emily and Alison pushing through the open natatorium doors. The place was dark and empty, but after turning on the lights, slipping into swim suits, and getting into the tepid water, it didn't feel any different than swimming on a school day._

_Emily cut through the crystal clear water easily, and Alison stopped to watch her. Once Emily broke out of her swim though, and looked to the blonde, Alison just smiled. "Why do they call it a natatorium anyway?"_

_Emily couldn't help but smiled. She liked it when Alison asked random questions like that. "It's comes from the Latin root word."_

_Alison raised her eyebrows. "I can't believe that you just know that off of the top of your head."_

_"French does come from Latin you know?" Emily said, rolling her eyebrows playfully at her best friend, who swam closer to her._

_"French class is so boring. I can't believe we got stuck in different class periods. It would be so much more fun if you were in it. I literally have to sit there for an hour and endure Mona Vanderwaal discussing French fashion with the teacher," Alison griped, grimacing and shaking her head. "It's hell."_

_"The only reason you're even in French is because you want to go to Paris," Emily reminded her best friend, smirking._

_"Don't _you_ want to go to Paris?" Alison countered, widening her eyes slightly as she said the capital of France in French. She batted her eyelashes at Emily. "With me?"_

_Emily smiled and gave into her instincts as she leaned forward and captured Alison's lips in her own. Alison immediately seemed to melt as she pressed her submerged body against Emily's. They hadn't kissed again since Halloween, but now, it felt much more natural, as though it were the most instinctual thing for one of them to kiss the other._

_When Emily pulled away, she smiled softly at Alison. "I would love to go to Paris with you."_

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><p>After pushing herself for two hours in the pool of the natatorium, Emily let herself float face up in the water, just staring at the ceiling. The first time she had ever come to the natatorium on a weekend was with Alison, but she remembered coming in many times without Alison as well. The blonde had never been as dedicated to swimming as Emily had been. It hadn't ever bothered Emily, though, because no two people were exactly alike.<p>

Emily let out a deep sigh as she pulled herself out of her jumbled thoughts. Despite the slight doubts that even still remained floating around in her head, she knew that she was doing the right thing by giving a relationship with Alison a chance. She knew that eventually, Alison would be brave enough to tell people who she really was. Nobody could really stay in the closet forever, and usually no one wanted to in this day and age. Emily just had to hope that she was right.

And she had enough feelings left for Alison to have that hope.

Finally pulling herself out of the pool, Emily was surprised that her arms felt almost like jelly after swimming so hard. She didn't dwell on it, though, mostly because she knew that it would turn to muscle and she would only improve from it. That was one of the things she loved about swimming—she could only ever get better.

Immediately after Emily had gotten changed, her phone went off. Spencer. Emily answered it without hesitation. "Hey, Spencer," she greeted.

"Hey," the girl responded. "Are you busy?"

"Nope. I just finished practicing at the natatorium," Emily answered, closing her locker and heading for the exit of the building. "Why, what's up?"

"Well… if I'm being completely honest, I'm nervous about hanging out with Aria and Hanna again away from school," Spencer muttered.

Emily smiled a small smile, mostly because she liked that Spencer had come to her for help about this. "Spencer, they haven't ever been against you about any of what happened to you. You have always just put them there assuming that's where they'd be. They want to be friends with you again, and frankly, I think you shouldn't freak out about it all."

"Well, I still can't help that I'm nervous," Spencer muttered. "Anyway, can you come over before they get here? Please?"

Emily rolled her eyes as her lips quirked up into another smile. "Sure. I'll be there in an hour."

"Thanks, Emily."

The line ended, and Emily got into her car and started home. She still had yet to ask her mom for permission to go to the sleepover she was invited to, but she wasn't worried about it. Pam Fields was mostly worried about Emily associating with Alison anyway.

As soon as Emily was through the door, she found her mom reading a book in the living room. "Mom, a few of my new friends are going to hang out tonight and they're all sleeping over at my friend Spencer's house. Can I go?"

Pam's brown eyes looked up from her book slowly and scanned Emily's face. "How many girls are going to be there?"

"Three… four including me," Emily answered, shrugging slightly. Pam still looked doubtful. "And they're all straight, mom. Gosh."

Pam suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "You can go. But I expect you to be home tomorrow at a reasonable time."

"I will be. I'm video chatting with my friends in Texas tomorrow," Emily stated, shaking her head slightly. "I'm going to head to Spencer's as soon as I grab my stuff."

"Okay. Have fun!" her mom called as Emily hurried up the stairs and to her room. Despite her mom's clear discomfort with her sexuality, Emily was happy that she wasn't openly badmouthing it anymore.

Emily took about twenty minutes to pack up her night time toiletries, as well as some sweats to sleep in, and then changed into a little more of a comfortable outfit. Then, after staring at the bracelet hooked around her wrist for more than a few seconds, she decided to leave it on. Alison hadn't noticed that Emily had been wearing it, and honestly, the brunette herself had forgotten she'd put it on. But now that she remembered, she definitely didn't want to take it off. It was like a reminder of everything she and Alison had once had, and it was bringing back different things about their whole school year as more than friends. Somehow, Emily knew that those intense feelings would return and grow steadily from there. She didn't, however, know how long it would take, or if another horrible interruption would stand between them again.

Almost exactly an hour after she'd spoken to Spencer, Emily arrived at the Hastings residence. She tried to ignore the fact that Alison was likely about twenty yards away from her—just across the lawn—and instead focused on calming Spencer down. The girl was absolutely frantic.

"What if they realize that they're glad I pushed them away? Like, they decide that it was better off for them and they don't want to be friends with me or something?" Spencer demanded.

Emily couldn't help but roll her eyes as she sat down on Spencer's living room couch, pulling the girl down next to her. "Spencer, you're like, freakishly smart. You can't possibly believe that that'll happen."

The sigh that Spencer released told Emily that she was right. "Okay, but… I don't know. I think I'm just ashamed about what I did and about pushing them away… I've never been so nervous about something like this, Em."

Emily gave her friend a soft smile. "Look, if you're really that freaked out, just remember that I'm here with you. And you know that _I'm_ not judging you for what happened to you last year. And they aren't either. Trust me, even when I had spoken barely three words to them, I could tell that they're the overly nice sort of people. They couldn't ever hate someone for making a mistake."

Spencer gave a thin smile. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry to drag you over here, Emily, really. I don't know how I got so freaked out."

"Don't worry about it," Emily promised, nudging the other brunette. "But you can make it up to me by letting me eat some of your fancy, rich people food."

Spencer snorted. "Fancy, rich people food, my ass. My parents buy the shittiest food ever." Emily just smiled, standing from the couch and walking herself to the fridge, where she retrieved some of Spencer's shitty, rich people food and started to eat.

"So, what exactly is it that we do at these barn slumber parties?" Emily asked, quirking up an eyebrow.

"Honestly? We used to just drink stolen alcohol and talk," Spencer admitted. Emily's eyes widened.

"You three _stole_ alcohol and then _drank_ it at slumber parties?" Emily demanded. "Wow, and I thought I was cooler than all of you." Spencer glared at Emily, who just smiled. "I'm kidding, but seriously. I think I've stolen alcohol _once_, and it was just a beer."

Spencer smirked. "Hanna was usually the one to steal it. I'm sure she still is. She's a bit of a lightweight sometimes, though, so you'd better brace yourself for tonight."

Emily smiled, because despite her original antagonizing of Hanna and Aria, she was glad to have met them and Spencer. She couldn't be more grateful about the friends she had already made back here.

Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to Alison, though, and Emily knew that the one thing that would make her afternoon better would be to know that Alison could come to the sleepover. That they could be together without feeling ashamed or embarrassed. That maybe the five of them, all together, could be a group of friends. Emily had a feeling that had she never moved, eventually the five of them would have had become friends.

But she had moved, and everything had changed, and therefore, she had to make the best out of what she did have now.

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><p><strong>Likeeeee? I hope yall liked the flashback and the chapter :) <strong>

**Havent got much time to chat, so please follow me on Twitter and send me a review :) Have a lovely day!**


	21. Twenty-One

**A/N: Ayy lovelies! Just got back from my acting class, just in time to update for you lovelies! c: This isn't the most Emison filled chapter, but it's important c:**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified. All she could think about was losing the one constant in her life—the one person she'd known would always be there for her. The feelings she had developed for her best friend earlier that school year had increased by a tenfold and now they were making her heart hurt even worse in this moment.<em>

_"Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way? Couldn't she at least listen to what Emily had to say first? Emily mentally cursed herself for not having done something about this earlier—though she wasn't exactly sure what she would have done if she'd had the option to say anything at all._

_"Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe. And frankly, she had no problem with Alison and Emily being themselves. Jessica would never judge anyone for being who they were, especially if they had no control over who they were—which no one really ever did._

_"Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas? Alison didn't think she could go through that… and to think, just earlier they had been in their own perfect little word, kissing each other as though there was nothing that could stop them. Just earlier, before they had been so rudely interrupted by the only person who could truly put an end to their… thing they had going on—the person who was now dragging Emily away from Alison._

_"Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for. Emily could hear her mother cursing under her breath at Alison as she got into the passenger seat of the car. How could her mom be blaming Alison, though, for who Emily was?_

_"Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde. When her daughter had come home distressed, following by a frantic Emily, Jessica had not been sure what to expect. Now, though, it seemed to all be fitting into place—she could make a pretty good guess as to what had happened to drive Pam Fields to this point._

_"No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her. In fact, she had literally about to say that to Emily when a certain Pam Fields had unceremoniously walked in on Emily and Alison in a slightly compromising position. Alison realized that the same thoughts were rotating through her mind in a constant loop, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to stop that loop unless she got Emily back before she was torn away forever._

_"You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat. She loved Emily like a daughter, but there wasn't anything she could do. Not a thing that she could do besides to hold her daughter in place and keep her from making things worse for Emily._

_"Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything. She just wanted to feel Emily's lips on hers, and to list all of the feelings that Emily ignited when they kissed. She knew that the chances were so slim… but she knew that she wouldn't be able to survive if she never got to see Emily again._

_"Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say at this moment. The first one that came to her mind was "I'll miss you"… but she knew that there were more. One stood out beyond all of the others, a handful of words that Emily had been waiting to say… a handful of words she may now never say._

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><p>"Guess what I come bearing?" Hanna called as soon as Spencer opened the door to let her end. She was grinning widely Emily as she moved into the kitchen. Suddenly, she produced a bottle from the bag that she had slung over her shoulder.<p>

"What is it?" Spencer asked, and Emily could practically hear the nerves in her voice.

"Bourbon," Hanna answered, a grin splitting onto her face. "And this stuff is wonderfully strong!" Spencer looked pointedly at Emily, who just smiled. Honestly, she was quite excited about this night with her new friends.

"I'll take some, but not right now. There's no point in getting drunk this early if we only have one bottle," Emily commented. Hanna grinned.

"I think I just keep liking you more and more Emily!" Hanna exclaimed. "Aria should be here any minute, by the way. She picked up pizza."

"Well that's a relief," Spencer commented. "My food here sucks."

"Yeah, it really does," Emily agreed. She had been hanging around here with Spencer until Hanna had arrived, and now they were just waiting for Aria before doing anything—though Emily still wasn't entirely sure how this whole barn slumber party thing worked. Despite the fact that Spencer hadn't really hung out with Aria or Hanna in years, Emily still felt like the newbie.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her pocket, and while Spencer and Hanna began to talk about something random, Emily took it out to check who had texted her. She honestly expected it to be her mom, checking in on her already, but saw that it was Alison and felt her heart skip a beat.

**From Alison-I miss you… ):**

Emily felt her cheeks flush, and she tried so hard not to smile at how adorable Alison was.

"Ooh, who are you texting?" Hanna exclaimed suddenly, noticing Emily's expression. Emily immediately locked her phone so that Hanna couldn't try and see who it was.

"Nobody," Emily lied, even though she knew that Hanna would see right through it.

"Come on! Does he go here, or is he from back in Texas?" Hanna asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do they have cute boys in Texas?"

Emily shook her head, and she caught Spencer trying to stifle a laugh behind Hanna. Emily wasn't really sure if she should just come right out with it and tell Hanna that she was into girls—but she decided against it simply because she didn't want to play twenty questions about what girl she was texting.

Before Hanna could drill her with anymore questions, there was a knock on Spencer's front door, and Hanna jumped up, clearly excited for pizza, and ran to let Aria in. Meanwhile, even though Spencer's eyes were still resting on her, Emily unlocked her phone to sneak a text back to Alison.

**To Alison-You saw me this morning! :P**

She locked her phone again as Aria and Hanna rushed into the kitchen, Aria clutching a box of pizza in both of her hands and a carrying a bag over her shoulder.

"Guess we can go out to the barn now," Spencer said, smiling happily, and Emily jumped up from the barstool she'd been sitting on. They all rushed outside to the barn with their stuff, and Emily found herself slightly crept out by the place. It was cozy, and definitely a good spot for a slumber party. But aside from the nice lights on the walls, the place was totally unkempt. Emily was about ninety percent sure that there were more than few rats hiding around.

None of the other girls seemed to have similar opinions, though, as they tossed their stuff on top of the blankets and pillows that Spencer had already spread across the entire middle of the barn. Aria was the first to open the box of pizza, and they all grabbed a slice and started eating.

"Emily, how do you like being back in Rosewood after a week?" Aria asked, smiling nicely at her.

"It's a lot different," Emily said, nodding slightly, "and yet, the same. I don't know. I'm happy that I'm back, though."

"Have you gotten to reconnect with any old friends?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, Em, have you reconnected with any of your old friends?" Spencer questioned teasingly, looking at Emily pointedly. Emily knew that the girl wanted her to tell Hanna and Aria about Alison, but Emily didn't know if she was ready for those two to know yet. She didn't trust them enough yet, she supposed. She really didn't have much to go on.

"I didn't really have a lot of friends when I lived here before," Emily answered, shrugging off the question. "Lucky for me, though, I have you three now."

Emily felt her phone vibrate in her lap, and she sneakily pulled it out and opened the text from Alison as Hanna started to yap about something.

**From Alison- Are you at Spencer's?**

**To Alison- Yes.**

**From Alison- Ah you're so close and I have to stay all the way over here. ):**

Seriously, this girl was the cutest thing that Emily had ever seen. She remembered Alison being cute before she left, but it was like now, she was a billion times cuter, as well as sexier. But the latter aspect was true for the both of them, as their bodies had grown much more mature over the past three years.

**To Alison- Maybe when the girls go to sleep…**

"Emily!" Hanna exclaimed. "Who are you texting?"

Emily locked her phone again and looked at Hanna with wide eyes. "Nobody!"

"Come on, Em! We're your friends now, you can tell us!" Hanna insisted, her eyes wide with anticipation as she leaned forward slightly. Aria rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"You don't have to tell us anything, Emily. Hanna is just hungry for some new juicy gossip," Aria admitted, shaking her head and smiling.

Emily's eyes widened a little bit at hearing that, mostly because she suddenly had the impression that if she told Hanna anything, she would go along and tell someone else. Hanna, though, must have noticed that, and she glared at Aria. "Not that I would squeal if you did tell me anything. I like to know gossip, but I don't spread it. I don't do that kind of shit to mess up people's lives."

"Yeah, we've been on the other side of that equation once, and it was one time too many," Aria agreed. "So if you did want to tell us, we wouldn't tell anybody."

Listening to Aria and Hanna talk back and forth like that made it sound like they were somehow the same entity, and it was quite strange. Strange, but clearly evident that they had been best friends for a long time. "Umm…" Emily didn't really know what to say in response to all of that, and then her phone buzzed, Alison's text message popping up on the screen.

As she saw Hanna's eyes drift down to her lap, Emily quickly locked her phone, her heart racing to fast. She knew that Hanna and Aria both hated Alison, and while she was pretty sure that they wouldn't care that Emily was gay, they would definitely care that she were so close to someone they hated.

"I saw an A!" Hanna squealed happily. "Come on, Emily, aren't you just dying to talk to someone about all of your juicy drama?"

"Not really," Emily answered, though she sort of was.

"Come on, Spencer, help us convince her to tell us!" Hanna exclaimed, looking to Spencer. Spencer's eyes widened suddenly, and she gave herself away. "Oh my gosh, you already know? You've known her for even less time than we have!"

"By like an hour," Aria interjected, seeming to feel like a mediator at the moment. Like she didn't want anyone to get mad at each other, but she didn't want to flat out say anything against anyone. Emily exhaled.

"Hanna, I don't really want to talk about this, seriously," Emily stated.

Hanna frowned. "Okay, I didn't mean to put you on the spot or make you feel uncomfortable. It's just… for me, knowing one of someone's secrets makes me feel like we're officially friends."

"It's true, she does it for everyone," Aria piped up.

Spencer looked at Emily pointedly. "And you know they're not going to tell anyone, Emily."

Hanna grinned at having Spencer on her side.

Emily shook her head. "I can't. Maybe some other time, okay?" Hanna sighed dramatically.

"Fine. But due to this dilemma, I need a drink. Anyone?" she asked, pulling out her bottle of bourbon. Spencer jumped up to grab cups from the kitchen, and within half an hour, they were all giddy and hyped up on alcohol. Emily's head was starting to spin, and it was then that she remembered that she still had an unchecked text message from Alison.

When she was sure that the other girls were too giddy and loud to notice, Emily took out her phone and opened the text messages.

**From Alison- I like the way you think… text me?**

**To Alison- Yeah, I'll text you (;**

Smiling to herself, Emily locked her phone and set it down next to her, before taking another drink of the strong bourbon and cringing. Despite the horrible taste of the alcohol, she loved it, because since she was in a good mood, alcohol was making her even happier. She was weird when it came to booze, actually. Sometimes she became horribly depressed when drinking it, but usually, it made her extremely happy.

"Who wants to play truth or dare?" Aria asked, grinning as she took a sip of her drink and made a twisted face as she swallowed it.

"Yes!" Spencer agreed, a wide grin on her face as well. "I'll go first. Hanna, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Hanna said, raising an eyebrow at Spencer. Emily got the feeling that Hanna was an open book to her friends, considering how much she always wanted to know about others.

"Are you still a virgin?" Spencer asked, giving the girl a questioning glance.

"Uh, no. Honey, I lost my V Card in sophomore year," Hanna answered, looking impressed with herself. "Good question, though. Emily, truth or dare?

Not really sure why she said it, Emily answered with, "Truth, I guess."

"Okay, are _you_ a virgin?"

Emily suddenly felt the pit of her stomach twist up inside of her as the answer the question rolled around in her head. It wasn't that she had to think about whether or not she was a virgin, she knew the answer the question. It was just the matter of thinking about the last time she had sex… "Nope."

"Ooh!" everyone said, and Emily felt her cheeks heat up.

Shaking her head, Emily looked at Aria. "Aria, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Aria answered, grinning.

"I dare you to drink a whole glass of this shit as fast as you can," Emily said, raising her eyebrows challengingly, and gesturing toward the bottle of bourbon.

Aria narrowed her eyes slightly, and poured herself a full glass of the drink, throwing it back suddenly and taking the whole thing down in ten seconds, which left her with a miserable expression. It only lasted for a second, though. Once she set her cup back down, she looked around the circle. "Sorry to bounce it back, but this going in order thing isn't working for me. Emily, truth or dare? Please say truth, and I promise I won't ask you about who you were texting!"

Emily rolled her eyes playfully. "Okay, truth."

"When did you lose your virginity?" Aria asked. A grin split over Hanna's face, telling everyone that she really wanted to know the answer to this.

Emily met Spencer's eyes for a moment, because she knew that her answer would tell Spencer whether or not she'd ever slept with Alison. Looking away from the brunette, though, Emily looked between Aria and Hanna. "Freshman year," she answered.

Hanna's jaw dropped. "You lost your V before me?" she demanded. "I thought you said that you didn't have a lot of friends back then!"

Emily just shrugged, smiling slyly at the blonde.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm going to steal your turn, Emily." Emily just laughed and shrugged. "Spencer, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Spencer answered, clearly not wanting to face Hanna's questions.

"Okay… I dare you to go to Alison's front door and ding-dong-ditch her house," Hanna said.

Emily's smile immediately disappeared, and so did Spencer's. "Um… I don't think that's a good idea," Spencer said.

"What, are you scared? What's she going to do, kill you?" Hanna demanded.

"Though, she just might," Aria piped up, laughing slightly. Emily bit down on her lip, but nobody seemed to notice her being uncomfortable at all. "Come on, Spence, you said dare!"

"Really, guys, I agree with Spencer. I don't think it's a good idea to ding-dong-ditch Alison's house," Emily spoke up.

"You are both such pansies," Hanna snapped playfully. "Get up, Spencer! We'll go with you and watch from your lot."

"Fine," Spencer grumbled.

Emily rolled her eyes, grabbing her phone as they all got up and left the barn, making their way down the side of Spencer's house and to the front yard. Spencer started across the yard and looked at Emily nervously. Emily just shrugged.

As Hanna and Aria giggled furiously, probably mostly from the alcohol than this actually being very funny, Emily pulled up her texting conversation with Alison.

**To Alison- Please do not answer the door when your doorbell rings. Truth or dare. Spencer is possibly about to pee herself.**

Spencer reached for the doorbell of the DiLaurentis house, rang it, and then bolted. All four of them ran back to the barn, Spencer looking terrified and Aria and Hanna laughing and squealing. Emily just shook her head slightly at them as her phone buzzed in her hand.

**From Alison- Those dorks. Xoxo**

It was hours later that all three of the other girls had finally passed out, and Emily was glad that she had stopped drinking as much as they had been.

**To Alison- Your backyard?**

**From Alison- Yes.**

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><p><strong>Next chapter will have more Emison... c: This story was starting to feel a little slow, so Chapter 26 is going to be a slight quickening of the pace... not by much, but enough to keep things from getting boring. Therefore, you have no need to tell me that it's feeling slow ;)<strong>

**Likee? Lovee? Hatee? Please let me know in a quick review, and follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this and I'll follow you back c: The trick is that you have to follow me before I'll follow you back loves, hence why it is called a follow back c;**

**You all seriously make me super happy! There's a flashback coming up in Chapter 25 that you all will LOVE c: Get excited ;)**

**Emison texting is my fave.**

**Well not really my fave because Emison kissing/talking/makingout/etc etc is awesome too... lol...**

**Have a great night lovelies! There will possibly be another update tomorrow, but if not, there WILL be one on Wednesday :) Probably not one on Thanksgiving, but perhaps.**

**Have a great night my loves! Stay safe - esp if you're off doing fun stuff for Thanksgiving Break this week :D Love you all! Please review c:**


	22. Twenty-Two

**A/N: You should've seen me writing this story, lovelies. I'm seriously crazy with how fast I'm writing this shit :P Also, do not fret my Dantana readers, SOWK will update by Sunday :)**

**Thank you for all of the lovely reviews! ;3**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! c:**

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><p><em>"<em>_What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified. All she could think about was losing the one constant in her life—the one person she'd known would always be there for her. The feelings she had developed for her best friend earlier that school year had increased by a tenfold and now they were making her heart hurt even worse in this moment._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now. After Emily had taken off from her own house less than an hour ago, how could Pam think that this was going to help in any way? Couldn't she at least listen to what Emily had to say first? Emily mentally cursed herself for not having done something about this earlier—though she wasn't exactly sure what she would have done if she'd had the option to say anything at all. Her mother would think the same way about all of this whether she had told her sooner or not._

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…" Jessica DiLaurentis pleaded to her daughter. The woman did not at all agree with what Pam Fields was doing to deal with this newfound situation. Jessica herself had no problem with anything going on, as long as her daughter was healthy and safe. And frankly, she had no problem with Alison and Emily being themselves. Jessica would never judge anyone for being who they were, especially if they had no control over who they were—which no one really ever did._

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!" Alison felt tears burning in her eyes. How could her mother expect her to calm down right now? If the suitcases tied hastily on top of Pam Fields' car were any indication, this wasn't going anywhere good. Alison stared hard at it for a moment, noting that Emily's uncle visiting—who lived somewhere near where Wayne Fields was stationed—was driving. Was that what was happening, were they going to Texas? Alison didn't think she could go through that… and to think, just earlier they had been in their own perfect little word, kissing each other as though there was nothing that could stop them. Just earlier, before they had been so rudely interrupted by the only person who could truly put an end to their… thing they had going on—the person who was now dragging Emily away from Alison._

_"__Alison!" Emily wailed. She didn't understand how her mom could be doing this to her, and she wasn't even sure what this was. Yes, she saw the car once she came outside at first, but why were all of their suitcases strapped to the top? It finally dawned on her, though… they were taking a trip… and maybe a longer one than Emily would care for. Emily could hear her mother cursing under her breath at Alison as she got into the passenger seat of the car. How could her mom be blaming Alison, though, for who Emily was? It was likely that she was too cowardly to admit that her daughter could be for a second different than most girls, and she had to blame someone else for the discrepancies._

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea," Jessica suggested, willing Alison to come with her. She was trying desperately to keep Alison from running frantically toward the other teenager. If it hurt to watch Alison go through this, she imagined it must be a lot worse for the younger blonde. When her daughter had come home distressed, following by a frantic Emily, Jessica had not been sure what to expect. Now, though, it seemed to all be fitting into place—she could make a pretty good guess as to what had happened to drive Pam Fields to this point._

_"__No! They can't do this!" Alison screamed. When had her mom reclaimed her grasp on Alison's wrist? Alison needed to do something, or she would lose Emily, she just knew it. She couldn't lose Emily. Emily was all that she really had going for her. In fact, she had been literally about to say that to Emily when a certain Pam Fields had unceremoniously walked in on Emily and Alison in a slightly compromising position. Alison realized that the same thoughts were rotating through her mind in a constant loop, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to stop that loop unless she got Emily back before she was torn away forever._

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside." It pained Jessica to say this to her daughter. Unfortunately, it was true, there was nothing they could do to stop Pam and Wayne Fields once they made their mind up about something. If there was, she would go through with it in a heartbeat. She loved Emily like a daughter, but there wasn't anything she could do. Not a thing that she could do besides to hold her daughter in place and keep her from making things worse for Emily._

_"__Emily!" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Alison could hardly stand to watch as Pam Fields dragged her daughter into her car, but she wouldn't tear her gaze from Emily. She couldn't. She had too many things that she still needed to say to her. Alison tried to promise herself that one day, she would be able to say everything. She just wanted to feel Emily's lips on hers, and to list all of the feelings that Emily ignited when they kissed. She knew that the chances were so slim… but she knew that she wouldn't be able to survive if she never got to see Emily again._

_"__Alison!" Emily tried to convey her emotions into the name, hoping that Alison might understand what she was trying to say. She had so many things to say to Alison before they were torn apart forever. So many things that she may well never get to say. In this moment, Emily could think of dozens of things that she wished she could say. The first one that came to her mind was "I'll miss you"… but she knew that there were more. One stood out beyond all of the others, a handful of words that Emily had been waiting to say… a handful of words she may now never say. The last thing she could do as the car began to drive down the street was stare back at the blonde and say the three words over and over again in her head. I love you. I love you. I love you._

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><p>"Ali?" Emily called quietly as she broke through the loose brush that divided the DiLaurentis yard from the Hastings yard. She felt a bit weird in her stomach, but she decided that she was just nervous that one of the girls would follow her.<p>

Suddenly, there were hands grabbing her own, and Alison, seeming to have come out of the nowhere, pulled Emily closer toward the DiLaurentis house. "Hey," Alison purred as she leaned against the outside wall of the house, still clasping Emily's hands. "How is your slumber party?"

"Not as fun as a slumber party with you would be," Emily answered. Even in the darkness, she could see Alison's cheeks flush dark red.

"Mm, maybe we should arrange one," Alison hummed out, pulling Emily closer to her and stealing her lips. It was strange how suddenly comfortable and close they were, when the previous day they still hadn't known where they stood with each other. It had been less than a week, and it felt like Emily had been with Alison again for months. It was like the original progression of their relationship had sped up by a tenfold into what it was turning into now. Emily supposed that she shouldn't really be surprised, though, since they did already have feelings for each other upon seeing each other again on Monday.

Emily pressed her lips harder into the kiss, taking control of it and effectively pinning Alison firmly against the wall. The blonde's center was already throbbing—it honestly hadn't really stopped doing that since the previous night. As Emily's hands tangled into Alison's hair, she felt herself go completely limp against the wall, glad that Emily was close enough to keep her from collapsing on the ground.

Emily slowly pulled away, though, and Alison had to force herself to keep standing. They didn't say anything for a moment, and Alison licked her lips. "Bourbon?" she wondered.

Emily crinkled her nose. "It was disgusting."

Alison smiled a small smile and brought her hand up to the side of Emily's face, brushing a strand of loose, dark hair away. "How much did you drink?" her voice was so soft—softer than it had sounded in years. It was a softness that only appeared when she was talking to Emily.

"I don't know," Emily answered, shrugging. "Why?"

"Bourbon always makes me sick," Alison answered, shrugging. Emily gave her a curious look, and then her eyes went suddenly wide. She jumped away from Alison, ran a couple of feet away, and up came her dinner, and the alcohol. Alison's eyes were wide, but she quickly ran to Emily and collected all of her hair in her hands. She gently scratched her nails along Emily's back as the girl heaved again.

Finally, Emily started to breath normally again, but she sounded miserable.

"Hey, come on," Alison cooed, standing Emily up straight and keeping a firm grasp on her arm in case she needed help standing up. "I'll get you some water."

"I shouldn't be gone too long," Emily groaned, but Alison just gave her a look that asked "are you serious?". Emily gave in easily and let Alison take her inside her house and sit her down at the dining room table that Emily hadn't sat at in three years. Alison came back with a glass of water and something for her stomach, and Emily took both gratefully. "Thank you."

Alison smiled, bringing her hand up to pull it through Emily's dark locks of hair. "Anytime. Well—I'll be here for you anytime, but maybe you should try not to get so drunk anytime."

Emily rolled her eyes playfully at the blonde. "Fine, Doctor Alison."

Alison's smile just widened. "I really want to kiss you but… you sort of just like threw up…"

Somehow, Emily managed to get a laugh out at that and she smiled at Alison. "Sorry. I guess I threw up all over your backyard."

"Don't worry about it, Em. But I'd be prepared—those girls are probably going to wake up hurling in the morning," Alison warned her.

"Since when are you an alcohol expert?" Emily teased.

She hadn't prepared for Alison's expression suddenly turning nervous. "Um…"

"No, you don't have to answer that. I was just messing around," Emily insisted, shaking her head. "Really, I'm sorry."

"No, you don't need to be sorry," Alison argued. "Anyway, it's not some big dramatic story. I hate drinking, but every time I do anything with Mona that involves us not driving, there's alcohol involved. I've just gotten really good at what not to drink, and who to stay away from when certain drinks are involved."

Emily didn't say anything, simply taking another sip of her water. She wished that she had her tooth brush, but that would probably have to wait for the morning.

"I wish you could just sleep here with me," Alison admitted, frowning slightly. "That would probably get a big _no_ from your mom, huh?"

"It's not a probably no, it's a definitely no," Emily answered, sighing. "I should probably go get some sleep, though. I feel suddenly very exhausted.

"If you still feel sick in the morning, you need to get checked out, okay?" Alison asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Okay," Emily said, chuckling a little. "Goodnight, Ali."

"Goodnight, Em," Alison returned, and then Emily got up and started back toward Spencer's yard.

Seconds after Emily was gone, Alison heard footsteps at the entrance of the kitchen. She jumped, terrified, as she looked over to see her mom. "Somebody is up late."

Alison pursed her lips, because there was no way that her mom hadn't just seen Emily. Her mom just came and sat next to her at the table, though, looking at Alison pointedly as if waiting for her to fess up to something. "Mom… what do you want me to say?"

"You don't have to say anything, dear."

"But you want me to say something," Alison said, raising an eyebrow.

"I want you to tell me whatever you want to tell me, Alison," Jessica stated, raising her eyebrows carefully. Alison bit down on her tongue, trying to keep herself from snapping at her mother.

"So, does that mean if I don't tell you anything, you'll pretend like you don't know anything?" Alison demanded. Jessica DiLaurentis gave her a daughter a confused look, and Alison just pursed her lips. "I'm going to bed."

"Alison—"

"I don't want to talk about anything right now," Alison snapped, despite having tried to keep herself calm. The truth was, knowing that her mom had seen her with Emily made Alison extremely uncomfortable, and now she was incredibly high strung. She really just wanted to curl up next to Emily in a warm bed and fall asleep.

Emily woke up the next morning to the sound of someone hurling outside of the barn. Groaning, Emily rolled over a bit and then forced herself to sit up. Her stomach wasn't hurting like it had been last night, but her head was pounding.

"Spencer?" she groaned, noticing that she and Spencer were the only ones still in the barn. Emily imagined that Hanna was likely the one currently hurling, and Aria was holding back her hair.

"What?" Spencer muttered, keeping her face buried in her pillow.

"Nothing," Emily mumbled, not sure what it was that she had been planning to say anyway.

"I feel sick," Spencer groaned. "I can't believe I drank so much last night. My head is killing me and I haven't even opened my eyes yet."

"Please tell me that you have aspirin," Emily pleaded, getting a weird nod from Spencer, whose face was still against her pillow. After another moment, Emily realized that the other girl wasn't going to get up to get that aspirin, so Emily just forced herself to stand up and walk out of the barn.

Hanna was sitting curled up next to some brush, in which there was bound to be some not so pleasant things by now. Aria didn't look as miserable as Hanna, but she too was sitting curled up on the ground. "Em, how aren't you dying right now?" the brunette asked.

Emily just shrugged. "I'm going to find the aspirin."

Making her way into Spencer's house, Emily felt her phone buzz lightly in her pocket. Emily, clutching her aching forehead, took it out and read the text message she had just received.

**From Alison- Are you alive over there?**

**To Alison- Just barely.**

Stumbling around the kitchen, Emily somehow managed to attain four water bottles and a bottle of aspirin, which she carried back out to the barn. At this point, the other three girls were all back inside the barn, desperately trying to recover from how horrible they felt.

"How come you seem perfectly fine while we're here dying?" Spencer demanded as Emily distributed painkillers and water bottles.

"Maybe I can handle my alcohol better than all of you," Emily suggested, smirking slightly.

Hanna just groaned as she took back a couple of pills. "I hate hangovers. My mom is going to be so pissed at me."

Emily's phone buzzed again, and she immediately checked it, all to ready to talk to Alison.

**From Alison- Can we hang out today?**

**To Alison- No ): I told my mom I'd be home reasonably, and I'm video chatting with my Texas friends this afternoon. Sorry!**

**From Alison- Don't worry about it. (:**

"Still texting your mystery boy?" Hanna croaked, her throat clearly not feeling good after what it had gone through this morning.

Emily just rolled her eyes. "Sorry to abandon ship, but I need to be heading home. My mother will flip out if I'm not home soon."

"Aw, well, we have to do this again sometime!" Aria exclaimed. "I think you're really cool, Emily."

Emily smiled. "Yeah, likewise. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow. Bye, Spence!"

"See you," they all chimed as Emily gathered up her stuff and headed out.

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><p><strong>How long do you think Emily will be able to handle her secret relationship?<strong>

**Please let me know your thoughts in a quick review, or you are welcome to PM me! I am getting bad about answering PMs... I'll try to do that soon! Oooh, also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this chapter and I shall follow you back c:**

**I'm going ice skating today with my friends... ehh... wish me luck guys. I haven't ice skated in like 8 years and I suck so bad... I learned how to roller blade a couple of years ago, so maybe some of that skill will carry over to the ice... but wish me luck anyway. I'm going to fall on my ass so many times. *cue flashback to WDCT Dantana Ice Skating Chapter* Ooh but afterward, I'm watching Big Hero 6 :3 It looks like a cute movie haha.**

**So anyway, I hope you all have a great day! I will update tomorrow, but not Thursday :( Friday I will try to get my SOWK chapter up, and likely one of these up as well. If I was following my normal story developing pattern, this story would likely be slipping away from me... luckily, I seem to have much better of a grasp on this story. Every time I feel a little iffy about something, I write out the chapter and it just works. I even remembered to pull some things through from the beginning of the story...**

**I know this story feels like it might last forever... I haven't yet even thought of how this will end tbh... I won't even try to tell you how long this will be, because I feel like that always jinxes me. *knocking on wood* Anyway, though, the angst of this story is definitely not over, so while I am happy that you guys like the happy stuff, please don't think that is all you will get from now on... I have a bad habit of turning what was intended to be an angsty story into a fluffy story... which is why most of my stories are under Drama instead of Angst. This one, though, is definitely under Angst, and I plan on instilling angst. So be prepared... won't tell you when it'll happen though of course ;)**

**I hope you liked this sweet little chapter, though!**

**Whoa, long, A/N, my bad.. Have a great day my lovelies! Please review!**


	23. Twenty-Three - Thanksgiving

**A/N: Hey loves! Surprise, Thanksgiving flashback chapter! Nothing exceedingly special... but all fluff for sure :) Next update will be Friday, along with - hopefully - a SOWK update! :) I don't have time to reread this whole thing right now, so just ignore any mistakes - they're all mine, like always ;)**

**Also, special dedication/shoutout to Melissa - SkaTerGirlWaCk's gf! Thank you both for reading, I'm so glad that you like my stories :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"Emily, I told you, we're going to see your aunt for Thanksgiving since she can't come up here to see us," Pam insisted to her daughter, who gave her a pleading look. Emily had already promised Alison that she would go to her house for Thanksgiving.<em>

_"Mom, Alison needs me right now," Emily insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Her parents are splitting up! I'm lucky to have you and dad as parents, and she's not that lucky to have parents that love each other like you two do. You have to let me stay and be here for her."_

_Pam's eyes searched her daughter's face, and then she let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine, you can stay here. Go upstairs and pack everything you need to stay there for three days, because I'm setting the alarm in here and that means no running back here while I'm gone."_

_"Thank you, mom!" Emily said, smiling widely and hurrying upstairs to get her stuff, which she had honestly already packed up. Yes, she had to do a little schmoozing in order to stay in Rosewood for these few days. It wasn't like Emily really wanted to go see her aunt anyway. If it were her dad, she would've been willing to leave, but not for her aunt._

_Things between her and Alison had been quite strange lately. Or, not strange exactly, just different. They were always getting lost in each other's eyes, or smiling shy smiles every now and then. Their relationship was changing from best friend to… more. Emily was definitely not upset about it. Scared, yes, but not upset. Emily had always known that she wasn't really like the majority of girls—she'd never even had a crush on a guy before. Alison, however… Emily would never have guessed that she would be gay or…_

_Another part that was strange—they hadn't had a single conversation about what this was. They hadn't talked about their sexual orientations, though that could be more understandable. The worst part was that they hadn't discussed what they were doing. The kissing, the flirting that had started happening as well. The longing looks and the sudden need to be hanging out away from their homes and from school. Emily almost felt like one of the stereotypical teenagers that adults always claimed "snuck around with their boyfriends"… only, Emily didn't have a boyfriend. She had Alison._

_Ten minutes later, Pam dropped Emily off at the DiLaurentis house. Emily gave her mom a simple goodbye, and then she was out the car door, her bag in hand and walking straight into her second home. That's what Alison's house was to her, anyway._

_It was weird coming in here lately, though, without Mr. DiLaurentis around. Emily tried not to let it bother her, since she knew that it was already bothering Alison, and gave a wave to Mrs. DiLaurentis in the kitchen before rushing upstairs. Alison's door was wide open, so Emily just walked in. Her best friend was sitting with her legs crossed on her bed, reading a book._

_"Hey," Emily chirped, getting Alison's attention. The blonde immediately grinned, closing her book and setting it aside._

_"Your mom said yes?" Alison gathered, raising her eyebrows._

_"Of course. Who could say no to my face?" Emily joked, setting her bag down on the floor and closing Alison's door. That had become habit lately—in the past month, they had kissed more and more often after their last two tentative ones. Door closing was starting to get important._

_"You make a valid point," Alison agreed, fluttering her eyelashes at Emily from across the room, as if asking her to come sit next to her. Emily joined Alison, sitting a short distance away from her on the bed._

_"Three days," Emily said, grinning, and then collapsing unceremoniously onto her best friend, who fell back against her pillow._

_"Emily," Alison groaned, trying to push Emily off of her. Smiling to herself, Emily put all of her weight onto her best friend, who eventually gave up and just went limp under Emily's deadweight. The blonde huffed, but almost immediately after, her fingers tangled into Emily's hair and started brushing through it. Emily found herself adjusting into a more comfortable position and curling up further into the blonde._

_"Ali…" Emily started, trying to gather courage to say what she wanted to… or really, what she needed to._

_"What's up?" Alison asked, her voice soft and distracted sounding as she combed through Emily's dark hair. Emily didn't say anything for a second, instead closing her eyes and letting herself shiver as Alison's nails gently scratched her scalp._

_"I think we should… we should talk about… about us," Emily said quietly. Alison's fingers stilled suddenly, and Emily felt her stomach twist inside her a little bit._

_Only second later, though, the blonde's fingers continued their movements and Alison agreed softly, "Okay."_

_They laid there quietly for about a minute, Alison's fingers still just scratching against Emily's head as she touched her hair. Finally, though, Emily pulled away from their comfortable position and sat up, facing her best friend, who sat up as well. "You're my best friend, Alison."_

_Alison blinked. "And you're my best friend."_

_Emily took a shaky breath—she wasn't really sure how she was supposed to say what she needed to. "What… what are we doing?" Alison frowned. "I'm not asking because I… because I don't want to do it or anything. I just… wanna know that we're on the same page."_

_Alison reached forward and grabbed Emily's hands. The voice she spoke in next was the softest Emily had ever heard her speak. Softer than what Emily imagined sitting on a solid cloud would be like. "I like the way this feels." A pause, and Alison leaned forward to press her lips against Emily's. Both of their bodies ignited at the feeling, and when Alison pulled away, they didn't break their gaze from each other's eyes. "I like the way that feels."_

_"So do I," Emily admitted, her voice small._

_"So, we're on the same page," Alison whispered, smiling slightly._

_Emily still wasn't so sure. "Ali… my mom would kill me…" She stopped talking as she felt Alison squeeze both of her hands with her own._

_"We don't have to tell anybody, Em. Not until we both know that it's safe to tell," Alison insisted. "Emily, this is the strongest I've ever felt for someone. I don't want to lose this."_

_Emily nodded. "Neither do I."_

_There was suddenly a knock on the door, and Emily immediately jumped, pulling her hands away from Alison, who immediately glared at the door. "What?" she called to her mom._

_"I have to run to the store. Do you girls need anything?" came Jessica's voice._

_"No," they both called at once._

_"Okay, I'll be back in an hour," Jessica told them, and they heard her foot steps receding. Alison and Emily looked back at one another, and almost by immediate and silent agreement, their lips came together in a fiery clash. First, their lips merged perfectly into each other, and then, Alison's tongue poked out of her mouth and dragged gently along Emily's lower lip. Not hesitating for a second, Emily parted her lips and moved her tongue so as to let it clash with Alison's. Clash, yes, but also twist and dance. It was practically magic._

_Emily wasn't entirely sure when it was that she began to push Alison backwards, but she was completely aware when she found herself straddling the blonde. She pulled away from Alison for a moment, flipped a bit of hair out of her face, and then met her lips again. Now, their magical kiss, while still every bit as magic, became an epic battle. Emily felt every square inch of her skin burning, especially as Alison's hands slipped under her shirt and scratched over her skin. Emily bit down gently on Alison's lower lip, and the blonde released a moan—a sound Emily had never heard her best friend make before._

_Every part of Emily's mind was screaming at her to do something she'd never done before, but she suddenly found herself freezing up. She pulled up off of Alison suddenly and had to turn around on the bed, looking in an other direction as she heard Alison's heavy breathing slowly even out._

_Alison didn't say anything, but she sat up slowly and gently touched Emily's shoulder. "Are you okay?"_

_"I… I'm not ready…"_

_"Okay," Alison said softly, dragging her hand down Emily's arm to her elbow, tugging on it lightly until Emily turned to face her. The brunette looked embarrassed. Alison just smiled and lifted her hand to brush a bit of hair out of Emily's face. "I don't think I'm ready, either."_

_Emily seemed to relax when she heard that, and Alison was happy to have calmed her. Still, Emily didn't say anything._

_Alison spoke again, "Emily, I don't know what to define us as. But I do know that you're more just my best friend, and I've never had feelings for someone like this. I want to see where this will go with you."_

_"What if we end up ruining our friendship?" Emily asked in a small voice, because even though she wanted this so badly, that one thought had been tugging at her. Alison smiled._

_"I won't let that happen, Em. We're always going to be best friends."_

_After dinner that night, Emily and Alison both got ready for bed, changing into comfy pajamas. After Emily was ready, she climbed into Alison's bed and under the warm covers. She had a designated pillow at Alison's house and, considering how often she spent the nights there, it wasn't that peculiar. As soon as she laid her head down, Emily felt tiredness come over her. After the emotions she'd trekked through earlier, her head was in an exhausted state. She heard Alison come into the room from the bathroom, and the lights flickered off._

_Emily was facing away from Alison's side of the bed, and she felt herself tense slightly as she felt the mattress sink slightly when Alison laid down. She still felt slightly embarrassed about her freaking out earlier, and though she was almost positive that Alison couldn't care less about it, she was still worried._

_Her worries slipped away in seconds, though, when Emily felt Alison's arms encircle her waist. The blonde pulled Emily's body closer to her, until she was pretty much just spooning her. Emily let out a content sigh as she relaxed into her best friend. Alison placed a small kiss on Emily's neck and then said, "Goodnight, Emily."_

_"Goodnight, Ali," Emily returned softly, already feeling herself fall asleep._

_Alison woke up with sun in her eyes from her window. Letting out a quiet groan, she pulled her arms out from around her best friend and forced herself up out of bed. She brushed her crazy, curly hair out of her face as she looked out the window. The sun was shining pretty brightly for a November morning. Across the yard, Alison could see the window of the neighbor's house. Spencer Hastings lived over there—Alison didn't really know her. And, Spencer didn't really know Alison. Then again, nobody did—aside from Emily._

_Alison dragged her curtains over the window, and the light that had been shining through all but disappeared. She crept back over to her bed and got back in with Emily. The brunette stirred as Alison made herself comfortable again._

_Emily turned over and her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Did I wake you up?" Alison whispered, raising her eyebrows slightly._

_Emily shook her head. Her voice was sleepy as she asked, "Why'd you get up?"_

_"Window," Alison answered, smiling a shy smile. "Did you sleep well?"_

_Emily nodded. "Happy Thanksgiving."_

_Alison grinned. "You know what I'm thankful for?" Emily just smiled a little wider, waiting for Alison to just tell her. "I'm thankful that you're my best friend."_

_Emily didn't say anything as she stared at her best friend. She couldn't help but wonder what would become of this thing they were doing. On one hand, she could picture every aspect of her future with Alison in it—yet, she could picture them falling back into normal places as best friends as well._

_"What?" Alison asked, her voice sounding shy and flustered, and Emily realized it was likely because she'd been staring. A smile immediately appeared on Emily's face._

_"Nothing," Emily insisted._

_"Alison! Emily!" came Jessica's call. Alison groaned, dragging herself up and off of the bed for the second time that morning. Emily just sat up, running her fingers through her slightly tangled hair._

_"What?" Alison called down to her mother._

_The proceeded to be called downstairs to help prepare the turkey—which would take all day to cook. Once the preparing was done—it took maybe twenty minutes tops—Jessica DiLaurentis made them some hot chocolate and told them to get some fresh air._

_They spent their day in Alison's backyard, laying on the grass and wishing that it would snow. Talking about all sorts of different things. They didn't get bored at all—they were best friends after all._

_During Thanksgiving dinner later that night, they didn't stop to give thanks for anything. Emily knew that it hadn't ever been a tradition in Alison's household, but it had been in Emily's, and she found herself listing all of the things that she was thankful for in her head._

_Her parents._

_Mrs. DiLaurentis._

_Swimming._

_Alison._

_Mostly Alison—especially as of late. Emily had not a single idea of what her life would be like without her best friend by her side through it all._

_Later that night, Emily found herself unable to think of anything but Alison—and the night before. She found herself zoned out, sitting on Alison's bed while the other girl was in the bathroom._

_Alison noticed Emily's deep thought as soon as she reentered the room. "Em? You okay?"_

_Emily blinked, looking over at the blonde and forcing a smile. Nodding, she said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."_

_"What about?" Alison wondered, flipping off the lights and crawling into to be next to Emily. They both curled into the blankets and faced each other._

_"You," Emily admitted, smiling._

_Alison felt her cheeks flush slightly red, but luckily, Emily wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. Her cheeks got even more flushed, though, when she found herself asking Emily, "Can we cuddle again?"_

_A grin spread over Emily's face, and she and Alison cuddled together contently and drifted off to sleep._

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked the fluffiness :) I know a lot of you are now waiting for a first time flashback since you found out that Emily lost her virginity in freshman year... ;) It shall come. :P Patience is a wonderful virtue c;<strong>

**So did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know in a quick review, or a PM! Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! Tweet me that you read this for a follow back!**

**I had a really busy day, went to Galveston and Kemah Boardwalk and hung out with my family... I hope all of you guys had a good day :) And I hope this ends your day nicely :) (or begins it, if it's morning where you are... etc etc... pft timezones...)**

**Love you all! Please review c: **


	24. Twenty-Four

**A/N: Hey lovelies! As promised, here is an update :) I know I sorta promised yesterday, but on Twitter yesterday I explained how I was not in the mood for writing or updating, so here I am on Saturday :) Oh well :P**

**I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving :) I had a pretty good one c:**

**Shoutout to give, yay! My 350th reviewer of this story... badadada... guest reviewer Guz ! Thank you all so much for reviewing! :) I'm so glad that you all are so supportive of this fic :)**

**All mistakes are mine!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>Emily's tongue was practically tied into Alison's as their make out session began to get extremely heated. Alison pushed up a bit, and then flipped them so that she was on top. Taking over the kiss, she let her hands roam down Emily's toned body. Simultaneously, Emily's hands gripped Alison's thighs tightly, eliciting a moan from the blonde.<em>

_Just as Alison's hands began to travel up under Emily's shirt, a door could be heard opening, and Alison pulled up off of Emily faster than ever before. Both girls had their eyes trained on Emily's door, where Pam Fields stood, her eyes wide and a look of horror covering her face._

_"__Mrs. Fields—" Alison started, her voice already shaky. She was cut off before she could continue._

_"__Alison, go home."_

_"__Mom," Emily snapped, sounding as though she might break into tears already._

_"__Go home, Alison!" Pam demanded, her voice ten times louder now, and a look of anger on her face. Alison, frozen, found Emily's hand and grabbed it. She didn't want Emily to be alone right now, and Emily definitely didn't want to be alone. Sitting up completely, Emily opened her mouth to say something—anything—to her mother. "Alison Lauren DiLaurentis, go home right this second!"_

_Alison jumped at hearing Pam's voice so intimidating. Emily, feeling rage toward her mother, nudged Alison. "Go."_

_Alison didn't need to be told another time, but she felt incredibly guilty as she passed Pam and hurried out of the house. If she could get home fast enough, she could probably get her mom to come and help save Emily from whatever horrible punishment Pam would have. Alison could already think of one—those horrible "rehab facilities" for gay people._

_Halfway home, though, Alison was already in tears. She didn't know what was going to happen, but she felt horrible for leaving Emily alone. She had no idea what was going to happen now._

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><p>Alison found herself with nothing to do, lounging on her bed and staring at the ceiling. Emily was probably video chatting with her Texas friends by now, and Alison was here being a loner. Normally, she'd be doing something—anything… but being around Emily lately had everything that didn't involve the other girl sounding extraordinarily boring.<p>

Just when Alison was sure that she was going to end up sitting on her bed with nothing else to do for the rest of the day, her phone blinked with a text message from Mona—followed almost immediately by a phone call. Stifling a sad sigh, Alison grabbed her phone and answered the call. "Hey," she said into it half heartedly.

"Friendervention!" Mona exclaimed.

Alison felt herself stiffen. "What are you talking about Mona?" she scoffed, hoping that the other girl wouldn't see right through her act.

"I don't know what has got you like this, but it needs to stop!" Mona exclaimed. Alison, now almost entirely confused, sat up a little straighter on her bed.

"Seriously, Mona, what the hell are you talking about?" Alison demanded.

"You've been a little off all last week, and then last night! You didn't go to Noel Khan's party? You do realize that I told Amanda you'd be there, and she was left going and being all alone! Everyone thinks that you must have died! Where the hell were you?" Mona demanded.

Suddenly, Alison was in a panic. She had no idea what to use as an alibi, considering that all she had done the previous night was stay at home, texting Emily, and then taking care of her in the middle of the night. "Mona…" Alison trailed off, and suddenly felt tears coming to her eyes. If people were really freaking out about her not being there, then it was starting. The end of everything—at least that's what Mona would likely call it.

Mona's voice, all of the sudden, became quieter. "Are you okay, Alison?"

Alison took a deep breath. "I'm fine. My mom kept me home last night because my brother was in town." Alison silently thanked her luck that Jason had actually come by for lunch the previous day. No, it wasn't the reason that Alison hadn't gone to the party, but it was true. "Therefore, no party. Do I need to post it online to get everyone to chill the hell out?"

"Maybe," Mona answered, not sounding entirely convinced. Times like these were the few time that Alison wished her posse was a little less smart. Well, really only Mona. Amanda wasn't so bright—neither were the other girls. Mona could sometimes figure Alison out, though, and that's what the blonde was dreading. What if Mona realized that Alison was seeing someone—and what if she figured out who it was? What if everything was ruined by one of the people that had always helped Alison keep her social status standing up and erect? "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Alison insisted. "I'm fine."

"Okay—so what are your plans for the day?" Mona asked. When Alison had no answer, the other girl scoffed. "See, clearly you're not okay if you don't have any plans on a weekend. Especially when your plans were canceled yesterday."

"There's nothing cool to do on Sundays, Mona," Alison attempted, although she already knew that she wasn't getting out of this one. Mona was determined that Alison was not okay—which wasn't far from the truth—and she was clearly just as motivated to somehow solve the problem.

"Come on, we can at least go grab lunch at the Grille, or coffee at the Brew! Seriously, Alison, you need to get out of bed. I know you're still sitting on it." Mona stated. Alison quickly jumped off of her bed.

"I'm not," Alison growled. "Look, Mona, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but maybe I just need to stay in for another day. Maybe I'll bounce back by tomorrow."

"Maybe you will, but your reputation won't! Ever since that new bitch took your seat last week and you didn't kill her, people have been tweeting and posting about your reign at this school ending. And then that kid on Friday… you didn't show at the party last night, and if you don't at least make some sort of public appearance today, it's all over," Mona insisted. Alison felt her heart rate picking up, and her eyes glanced around her room quickly. "Alison, you okay?"

"I… Mona…" Alison broke off, looking around frantically, as though a solution would present itself. There was always a solution. In the last three years, every moment that Alison had felt a twinge of panic, she had managed to grasp onto to something to throw at whatever her threat was. This threat was different, though, she knew.

_Ever since that new bitch took your seat last week… your reign at this school ending… it's all over…_

Alison shook her head, feeling hot tears leaking from her eyes already. Emily was her threat. Emily was the reason that her reputation was falling apart. There wasn't anything that Alison could throw at Emily to keep her away. She only thing she would be able to do would be to end things with her and steel herself of all feelings. Though the thought came to Alison's mind, she knew that she would never be able to do that. She thought back to last night, taking care of the brunette… Emily was the one person that could turn Alison into putty, into mush. She could get Alison's heart racing in the best way, or her palms sweating, or her skin burning. There was no chance in hell that Alison could ever just end things with Emily.

"Alison," Mona said into the phone slowly.

Alison clenched her jaw, wiping away her tears. "I'll meet you at the Brew in an hour. Call the girls."

"You got it," Mona answered, her voice sounding strangely soft, or maybe sympathetic. Alison hung up the call, wiping her cheeks again, and began to get ready to be seen in public.

"So, have you met any new hot girls yet?" one of Emily's Texas friends—Lea—questioned, raising her eyebrows.

Emily just smirked, and one of her other friends, who was on the other line with Lea, flipped some of her hair over her shoulder. "Well, she obviously hasn't met any as hot as me."

"Keep dreaming, Cass," the third girl on the screen—Mia—said, rolling her eyes.

"To answer your question, Lea, not any _new_ ones," Emily answered.

All three girls assumed a concerned expression. "You don't mean that… that you've come across any hot girls from before? As in, Alison?"

Emily gave a weak shrug. "You already knew that I never got over her."

"Did she get over you?" Mia questioned.

Lea answered before Emily could. "How could she, Mia? The girl didn't even know where Emily went."

Emily just sighed. "It's complicated. She's changed a lot."

"More specific?" Mia tried, raising a hopeful eyebrow. Emily just shrugged.

"It's… complicated. Just… like, she's actually a _someone_ now, and I'm still a nobody. I'm out of the closet, she's not," Emily stated.

Cass frowned. "Sounds like a definite _not gonna happen_ then."

"That's what's so complicated about it. _She_ kissed me last week… I don't know. We're doing… something… it's so messed up. Almost just like ninth grade, but worse," Emily admitted.

"Sweetie," Lea started, "don't do that to yourself. The girl is bad news by now. You don't want to date a girl who is in the closet, especially if she's _scared_ of coming out and what it will do to her."

Lea was one of the few people at Emily's school in Texas who, like Emily, had been an out and proud lesbian. The difference was that Lea had actually had successful relationships, and Emily had only ever had a sort-of relationship with her best friend before being torn away from her for three years. She hadn't even had sex with anyone but Alison.

"She's right, Em," Cass agreed. "You can't do that to yourself. You deserve so much better."

"You guys don't understand. I so badly wish that I could just be over her but… she makes me feel… I don't know. She makes me feel like I can do anything. She looks at me like she sees no flaws. Every bit of chemistry that we had three years ago is still there," Emily explained, shaking her head. "It's so freaking hard."

Her friends were frowning. "I know that you'll figure it out, Em… just… be careful," Lea warned.

Emily nodded. "I will. Thank you guys."

The three girls gave Emily smiles. "We have a movie to catch in half an hour, so we'll text you, okay? And we'll do this again next Sunday, right?"

"Right," Emily agreed, giving them a weak half smile. "Love you guys."

"We love you, too, Em! Try not to just sit around all day!"

The video call ended, and Emily heaved at sigh. Suddenly, there was a light knock on her door. "Come in," Emily called, and the door opened to reveal her mother.

"Is your call over?" Pam wondered, looking at the computer as Emily nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I'm still unpacking some last minute stuff, and I thought that maybe you could run by the Grille and pick up some takeout for us. And maybe a couple of coffees at the Brew?" Pam suggested to her daughter, who nodded again.

"Sure," Emily told her mom, getting up and grabbing her phone and purse. "I'll be back in a while."

"So, you had to have dinner with your brother instead of going to the party?" Amanda asked. Alison nodded.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry. It was probably a drag without my there, so I'm sorry you had to go alone. If I'd known that you were going at all, I would've called and told you. I'm really sorry, Amanda," Alison said, grabbing Amanda's hand and squeezing it for good measure.

Amanda smiled. "It's fine, Alison. I'm just glad you're okay. After last week, I just felt like you might've been really upset. What with that new girl, and that guy in your English class."

Alison shrugged. "No one has the power to take away my power, I promise, girls. They can say whatever they want, but we will never fall."

Mona smiled happily. "See, I told you that it would be better for you to get out of the house!"

Alison just smiled, lifting her coffee cup to her lips and taking a careful sip of the hot, bitter liquid. The entrance to the Brew, directly across from where Alison was sitting, opened suddenly to reveal none other than Emily Fields. Alison almost choked on her steaming coffee, but she managed to swallow the stuff and act mostly normal.

Emily didn't even notice that Alison was sitting the Brew with her friends until she had ordered her two coffees and was waiting for them to be ready. When she did, their eyes locked for half a second and then Alison tore her gaze away. Emily tried not to sigh as she took her two coffees and left the Brew. It was so freaking hard to pretend that she wasn't at all connected with Alison. It was even harder to pretend that she didn't have insane feelings for her.

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><p><strong>Leave a review if you would like ^.^ Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana :) Tweet me that you read this and I'll follow you back :)<strong>

**Don't have a lot of time, but brief explanation as to why I didn't update yesterday... Woke up late and felt like doing nothing other than watch Netflix, so I spent literally like 5 hours watching Netflix. By seven in the evening I felt like shit for not doing anything productive but instead of writing fanfiction, I finished some of my homework that's due Monday and felt a little better. Then I started to read FF because by that time I literally felt like I wanted to die, and I stayed up until 4 am reading FF and waiting up for my brother to get here (he and his gf drove here to see us bc it's my mom's bday...) So yeah, had a weird day. Idk.**

**Anyway...**

**Love you all! Please review :) Will update SOWK tomorrow :)**


	25. Twenty-Five

**A/N: In honor of my 2nd birthday/anniversary here on Fanfiction (Yes, yes, I have officially been on Fanfiction for 2 years now :D ), here is an extra long update with some extra strong feels. :) I hope that they don't mess with you too much... c;**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_My mom is going to be out all night," Alison said through the phone. Emily's eyes widened slightly at the thought that immediately popped into her mind. Yes, her make-out sessions with Alison had recently started to get more heated every time they occurred, but only over the last couple of days had Emily even considered the thought of going further with her best friend. And something told the brunette that Alison was thinking the exact same way. "So do you want to come over?"_

_"__Of course," Emily answered, biting back a grin. "I'll be there in a few."_

_Emily's mom didn't question anything as Emily announced that she was going to Alison's to stay the night. Emily didn't even need to pack anything—she'd left a lot of stuff at Alison's house intentionally over Thanksgiving so that she didn't ever have to worry about not having clothes and things._

_Emily biked through the cold over to Alison's house. The blonde was pretty much already waiting for her at the door when Emily arrived._

_They heated up some food for dinner and then went up to Alison's room, where they first just talking about whatever came to their minds for a little while. Emily ended up in one of her favorite positions—her head laying over Alison's lap. Alison was twirling Emily's hair slowly, and scratching her short nails against her scalp. They were both unspeaking._

_Finally, Alison spoke. "Emily…"_

_"__Yes?" Emily asked, her voice soft._

_"__I just… want to make sure that you know how much I care about you," Alison said softly. Emily opened her eyes and looked up at Alison, smiling._

_"__I do know," Emily promised, before sitting up and pressing her lips gently against Alison's. "I'm going to go to the bathroom."_

_While Emily was in the bathroom, Alison took the time to gather the courage she needed to do what she really wanted to do. She got up off of her bed and, as Emily walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her, Alison intercepted her with her lips. Emily immediately let out an involuntary moan at the suddenness of the kiss. Alison took complete control over both of them, pinning Emily up against the door._

_Her hands dropped to Emily's midsection, and Emily's hands were desperately trying to pull Alison impossibly closer to her. Their lips fought intensely, and Alison kept up her state of dominance. Her hands dropped to Emily's ass and squeezed it, getting another moan from the brunette._

_As Emily's hands got tangled into Alison's hair, the blonde took the liberty of grasping the rim of Emily's shirt and pulling it upwards. Emily didn't hesitate to help her pull it off, even though it required their lips to separate momentarily, because her skin was burning and she didn't want the fabric against it anymore._

_Emily's black bra now completely revealed, Alison lowered her lips to Emily's neck, kissing and sucking gently down the skin in the crest between Emily's breasts—the only part of them that was currently exposed. Emily's skin was burning even more now, with Alison's lips and tongue against it. She hastily pulled Alison's face back up to hers, and their lips collided again. Taking dominance, the brunette pushed the blonde back away from the wall and toward her bed. She pushed Alison down onto the blankets and back against the pillows._

_Alison, wanting desperately to be in control of this situation, managed to flip them around so that she was straddling Emily. Their lips disconnected as Alison sat up to tear her own shirt off. She rejoined their lips , and their bra-enclosed breasts bumped against one another as their teeth and tongues clashed between them._

_As Alison fumbled with the clasp of Emily's bra, her thigh slipped naturally in between Emily's thighs, and the brunette gasped as it touched against her center. Emily had never imagined that Alison could make her feel so good—and she knew that this definitely wasn't over yet._

_Her bra was gone in seconds, and finally—Alison hesitated. She was straddling Emily still, whose chest was rising and falling at incredibly speeds. Alison looked down at her best friend's bare chest, and wanted to touch it, but she hesitated._

_Emily's eyes flickered open and looked up at Alison._

_"__Are we going too fast?" Alison asked, her voice small._

_Emily could think of nothing else but the darkened blue eyes she was staring into, aware that her own pupils must be blown by now. Shaking her head she reached up and brushed some hair out of Alison's face. "I've never felt this good before, Ali."_

_Alison nodded, regaining her courage, and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Emily's lips. Their fast beating hearts didn't let the kiss stay soft and gentle for long, though, and soon they were back to making out, and Alison finally allowed herself to kiss her way back down to Emily's breasts. She first placed soft kisses around the bases of them, but Emily hands were tangling into her thick, blonde hair, pulling on it slightly, and encouraging Alison to continue on._

_As soon as Alison's tongue flickered out against one of her nipples, Emily's eyes rolled practically entirely back into her head. Alison's lips encased the entire nipple, and simultaneously, Emily's lips released a low moan. Her body curved up into Alison's, and it was then that she realized that the blonde's breasts were still enclosed in a bra._

_As soon as Alison released Emily's nipple from her lips, the brunette pulled Alison back up to her lips and then unclasped the unnecessary piece of clothing from the blonde, tossing it aside. Their naked breasts now bumped against one another, and Emily felt goose-bumps rising on her burning skin._

_Emily's hands were all along Alison's body, over her abs for one moment and then to her ass, up to the middle of her back. She couldn't get enough to her body. Finally, she hooked her fingers in the belt loops of Alison's jeans, pulling them down. Alison wiggled her ass so as to get the jeans off, and then kicked them away and off of the bed. Emily felt Alison unbuttoning her pants almost immediately after, and the found themselves almost completely exposed to one another._

_Neither of them had any intention of stopping at this point, and Alison was determined to lose her virginity tonight to her best friend—the girl she was falling in deep with. She was also determined, maybe even more so than the former, to take her best friend's virginity._

_Her thigh slipped back in between Emily's, and this time she intentionally brought it up against Emily's center. As the brunette let out an immediate moan of pleasure, Alison noticed how damp Emily's underwear was. It only furthered her determination, of course, and she quickly slipped her thumbs into the edges of the panties, pulling them off of the girl and throwing them aside._

_Emily was wiggling under her as Alison finally placed her fingers against Emily's core. Emily's emotions and feelings were all over the place as Alison touched her. She couldn't think of anything except for the way Alison was making her feel. Her heart rate was increasing by a tenfold, and she heard herself whimpering and moaning—felt herself squirming. Alison was determined enough to drive Emily up to climax, and so she did._

_Emily felt her chest rising and falling faster than it ever had, but she felt her breathing evening out. Alison was laying next to Emily, her hand resting on the brunette's toned stomach and her fingers drawing invisible shapes against the skin there. "I…" Emily wasn't even sure that she had the words to describe how she was feeling._

_Instead of trying to think of them, she lifted herself up and straddled the blonde, who looked honestly surprised. Emily didn't even hesitate as she dove for Alison's lips, then her neck, and then her breasts._

_Alison gripped Emily's hair in her fists as the brunette sucked mercilessly on her nipple. The blonde felt her entire body igniting as Emily began to suck on her skin, down from her breasts to her abs. As Emily sucked intensely on one spot on Alison's abs, her hands made it their mission to remove Alison's panties._

_Alison was astounded at how much braver Emily was than she had been, especially when Emily began to kiss lower and lower on Alison's body, until she was kissing Alison's center. Alison's breathing was getting quicker and quicker, and she knew that her pupils must be huge. She was moaning and arching herself into Emily, without even noticing, and then let out a whimper when she finally reached her maximum._

_She felt Emily next to her, wrapping her arms around her protectively. "Emily," Alison breathed out. The brunette was gently dragging her fingers along Alison's beautiful, naked body. They stopped on her abs, when she noticed that she had accidentally marked them._

_"__Whoops," Emily said softly, and Alison looked down to see what she was talking about. She just felt happier at knowing that Emily had marked her. "I didn't mean to… sorry."_

_"__Don't be sorry," Alison breathed out, pulling Emily even closer to her and burying her face into Emily's messy, post-sex hair. "Nobody could ever make me feel as good as you just made me feel."_

_"__Well, that is because I am an Alison DiLaurentis expert," Emily whispered softly, still gently stroking Alison's body. "You are beautiful, by the way. In case I've never said it before."_

_Alison pulled her face from Emily's hair so as to meet her gaze. "Emily… I think that I'm falling in love with you."_

_"__I think that I am, too," Emily admitted, her voice soft. Admitting that out loud was terrifying, but at the same time, it felt amazing to tell Alison that, because it was true. "You make me feel every good emotion there is, Ali."_

_Alison, feeling extremely tired by now, curled into her best friend, tangling their legs together. Emily maintained a strong embrace with the blonde, and they fell asleep entangled as one being rather than two._

* * *

><p>"So, anything interesting happen yesterday?" Spencer questioned Emily as the made their way into the cafeteria. They hadn't had much time to talk during their government class because they'd been given a horribly timed pop quiz.<p>

"Nope," Emily answered, and that was the absolute truth. Nothing significant or interesting had happened the previous day.

"Did you have a hangover all day?" Spencer wondered. Emily just shrugged as they sat down at their normal table.

"No," Emily answered, opening her lunch and taking out the sandwich that she had made for herself that morning.

Spencer narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Are you okay? You're awfully disconnected today."

Emily just shrugged. If she was being honest, she was a little high strung. Since Saturday night, Emily wanted nothing more than to be around Alison, and she couldn't. She couldn't because Alison wanted to keep them a secret, and it was driving Emily crazy already. She felt as though she was torn jaggedly, so that she was jumping between being happy and being utterly depressed.

"Is this about you know who?" Spencer demanded. "Emily, this isn't healthy."

"I don't want to talk about it, Spencer," Emily snapped, shaking her head. "I just want this day to be over so I can go to swim practice and get ready for the meet tomorrow."

"Emily, she's totally taking advantage of the feelings that you still have for her. You shouldn't have to hide this," Spencer stated.

Emily huffed. "I know what I'm doing, Spencer."

"No, you don't!" Spencer exclaimed. "Look, you and her have been through a lot, I get it. But you don't have to go back to her just because you and her have a history!"

Emily was shaking her head. "Spencer, you have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know the first thing about me and Alison. Not our past, not our present. We didn't have some little best friend phase, okay?"

"I know that," Spencer snapped, lowering her voice a bit. "You slept with her, you—"

"I was _in love_ with her," Emily snapped, her voice quiet and yet incredibly fierce and firm. "I was in love with her, and I never got to tell her that. And that has haunted me for _years_! It's haunted me knowing that she didn't know that, and the fact that she hadn't ever told me that she loved me hasn't made that any easier."

Spencer just sat stiffly across from Emily, who was clearly not having a good day.

"Thank you for trying to understand, Spencer, but you really don't, and you probably never will. Especially if I continue to only see her when no one else is around," Emily muttered.

Spencer took a slow breath. "You're absolutely right, Emily. I will never understand. But I don't want you to be suffering every day because you can't be open about who you're with."

"Who is that again?" Hanna questioned suddenly, sitting down next to Emily as Aria sat down next to Spencer.

"Nobody," Emily muttered, going back to her food.

"Emily—" Aria started to talk. Emily, however, was not in the mood for such things as she slammed her sandwich onto the table, got up, and stormed out of the lunchroom. Her first thought was to go hide out in a bathroom, but then she decided that she didn't want to even be at school anymore. She would come back from swim practice, but she was done with this place for now.

She went to her locker, grabbed her stuff, and left right through the front doors of the school. She couldn't care less if her mother found out.

Then, Emily stopped short as she noticed Alison sitting at one of the tables with her group of ditzy followers gushing over her. Emily clenched her teeth, but then she couldn't be angry. She felt her insides melting, and she quickly looked away from the blonde and turned the other direction. She needed to walk down to the natatorium side of the school to get to the parking lot anyway.

Alison only saw Emily tearing her eyes away as she turned on her heel and started down the sidewalk. Was she just leaving school? Alison clenched her teeth, trying to convince herself not to do what she was about to do. As it seemed, though, she was way too whipped to not do it.

"I'll be right back, girls," Alison stated, standing up from the table and starting after Emily. Luckily for her, nobody seemed to be looking in her direction.

Whether or not Emily knew she was being followed was lost to Alison, because neither of them spoke or stopped walking until they were standing in front of the natatorium. Alison called, "Emily."

Emily stopped and turned around. "Please go away."

"What's wrong?" Alison asked, her voice naturally soft.

"I can't deal with it right now," Emily snapped.

"With what?" Alison demanded, entirely confused. Emily took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I saw you at the Brew yesterday," Emily stated. Alison furrowed her eyebrows slightly and nodded. Before she could question the statement, though, Emily was speaking again. "And I got so mad at you. I'm _so_ mad at you, but I _can't_ be mad at you! And that makes me even more mad at you!"

"Wait, what?" Alison asked, still confused.

Emily huffed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Half of my head is telling me to be mad at you and end this before it gets to screwed up, and the other half is telling me to give into you."

Alison just stared at the brunette.

"And right now, I could either shove you away or pull you into me and I don't know which I would do! It's driving me _crazy_, because I have my friends in Texas telling me to be careful, and I have Spencer telling me to get myself out of this before I start getting miserable. And I agree with her—this may have been a horrible decision. But then I think of you and of us on Saturday and I want to _keep_ making horrible decisions! And I want to kiss you and hold you and never let you go, because you were torn away from me years ago and I can't lose you again. And then I think of how you must be feeling if I feel like this and then I feel even worse about being mad at you," Emily ranted, shaking her head.

"Emily…"

"I can't just do one thing or the other and I feel like you're perfectly fine with what we're doing and I don't want to push you into doing something you're not comfortable with yet, but then I want you to be comfortable telling people about us and… It's so hard, Ali. It's so hard, because I don't know what would have happened to us if I hadn't had to leave. I hate my mom for making me hate myself," Emily continued.

"Why did you hate yourself?" Alison asked softly, simply because she was unsure of what else she could say right now.

Emily shook her head, and a tear dropped from her eye. "I hated myself for months for not telling you that I was in love with you before you got torn away from me for what I thought was going to be forever."

Alison blinked, carefully wetting her lips with her tongue and taking a hesitant step toward Emily. "I hated myself for not telling you that, too."

Emily clenched her teeth and turned around, shrugging her backpack off and letting it drop to the ground as she shook her head. "Don't do that. Don't say things like that. It makes me feel worse about being mad at you."

"Emily, if you can't do this… then maybe we shouldn't. I don't want you to do this with me if it'll be torture for you," Alison whispered.

Emily nodded, though she felt her heart cracking. "We can't do this, Alison. It hurts way too much."

Alison nodded as well. "Okay. So, this is over."

"It's not like it was much of a thing anyway. I've been back for a week," Emily muttered. "Bye, Alison."

Alison bit down on her tongue and she nodded. "Goodbye, Emily." She turned away and started down the sidewalk back to her friends. She felt her throat constricting as her body held back her tears. She couldn't help but think back to watching Emily leaving three years ago.

_"__What the hell are they doing? Emily!"_

_"__Stop! Ali, I—"_

_"__Alison, dear, calm down please…"_

_"__Calm down? Are you serious? Emily!"_

_"__Alison!"_

_"__Alison, please, come inside. I'll make you tea."_

_"__No! They can't do this!"_

_"__You can't stop them, I can't stop them. Come inside."_

_"__Emily!"_

_"__Alison!"_

Alison turned back toward the natatorium, where she saw Emily sitting against the building with her head in her hands. Inhaling deeply, she suppressed everything, wiped away a nonexistent tear, and continued back to her friends.

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><p><strong>"Tana, you are the biggest f***ing bitch ever, because you gave us Emison first time and then you f***ing destroyed our hearts with a horrible breakup! WHY THE F*** WOULD YOU DO THAT! AND ON YOUR FF ANNIVERSARY! I AM GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND MAKE YOU PAY FOR THE DAMAGE YOU HAVE JUST DONE TO MY HEART!"<strong>

**Okay, put down the chair you've just prepared to launch at me, and unroll the fist you've just curled your hand into, because if you get rid of me, you get no more of this fic, happy or sad ;P Also because violence is bad (*sings in a soft Brittany S. Pierce voice: Stop the violence*)...**

**Alrighty! So! To address Emison first time - I say this with every story and I will continue to say this with every story, because in my description of this story are the clear words "mild themes". MILD. Not, Smutty Themes. Not, Much Sex. Not, MA NR... Mild... and there's always ONE person who reviews and says "make more smut". Here's the thing. I love smut as much as the next girl, and I'll read it. But if you're HERE to read smut, you should have noticed in the past 24 chapters that this story is not focused around smut. Also, let's just make this clear. I have yet to even kiss a girl (or a guy, but not like that'll ever happen anyway) yet, and I definitely have not had sex. Obviously, being in high school, I know how sex works. But I know that even if I wanted to write something that detailed, it wouldn't be great, because... yeah... so I'm sorry if that disappoints you. **

**Those of you who have read my previous stories, you're probably laughing at this point, because you're like "sweetie, you said that stories and stories again and you have gotten way smuttier, just you wait". And maybe you're right... ;P**

**So, leave a review with your thoughts if you'd like :) Idk when the next update will be, probably soon though :) Not again today, bc it's almost time for me to go to sleep :P I have a bit of an illness, hopefully just a weird, long lasting cold, so I'll be taking some medicine that'll knock me out in a few minutes...**

**Tana, stop freaking talking, you're annoying the shit out of them.**

**My apologies. :) I hope you'll leave a review or find me on Twitter at BrittzandTana ! :) Have a great night my loves! Or day, if it's day for you! ;) LOVE YOU ALL! BYEEEEE!**


	26. Twenty-Six

**A/N: Hello everyone! I had a rather excellent day today - I got to miss most all of school to go caroling with my choir around my town, and it was quite fun! Got to hang out with all of my choir nerd friends and drink a smoothie (because surprise surprise, it's 70 degrees F in Texas in Decemeber) c: We got to sing for the elderly and they were all singing along c: Yay! Anyway, had a good day, so I am going to spread my joy to you in the form of another update! Woohoo!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW! REMEMBER 400th REVIEWER GETS A SHOUTOUT :) :***

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><p><em>"<em>_Mom… please don't freak out… I can explain," Emily started as she heard the front door close._

_"__You can explain?" Pam Fields snapped angrily. "You cannot justify this, Emily Fields. That girl has corrupted you and dirtied your mind. You will not see her again."_

_Emily's eyes widened, and then rage overcame her. "She didn't do anything to me! I like girls, mom! That's who I am! It's not something that Alison spread to me like a disease!"_

_"__I raised you right, Emily! You could never be that sort of abomination," Pam spat. "I know who you are, and that is not who you are!"_

_"__You are a coward, mom!" Emily exclaimed. "You are a coward who isn't strong enough to even admit that for a second, I'm not the perfect little girl that you always forced yourself to see me as!"_

_Her mother was clearly very angry by now. "Emily Fields don't you dare talk to me like that! You have been corrupted in more ways than one by that little bitch! I refuse to let her corrupt you even more!"_

_"__No matter what you do, mom, I will still be gay and will still like girls!" Emily yelled, tears falling from her eyes by now. "And I will still be in love with Alison!"_

_It was the first time that she'd said it aloud, and it wasn't even to Alison. Her mom's eyes widened by a tenfold, and she opened her mouth to say some other horrible thing. Emily, though, bolted past her mother and out of her room. She silently thanked herself for pushing herself in the pool lately, because she managed to get outside, on her bike, and down the road before her mom could catch up._

_Emily wasn't exactly sure why her mom didn't chase her in the car. All she knew was that she was biking to Alison's house as fast as she could, her heart racing. It could have been hours, or mere seconds, that it took Emily to get to her destination. She wasn't sure._

_She didn't even knock on the DiLaurentis door—she just barged into the house. Alison, who was sitting nervously on her couch, immediately jumped up. "Emily…" her voice trailed off as her mother rushed into the house._

_"__Emily, are you okay?" Jessica demanded._

_Alison gave Emily a look that told her that she had told her mother everything. Emily just looked between the two and then broke down in tears. Alison immediately approaching her and grabbed her in a soft hug. "It'll be okay, Em," Alison whispered, though her voice was shaking._

_"__N-no. She think that y-you d-did it," Emily sobbed._

_Alison's heart was racing, and she had never felt more terrified in her entire life. She carefully led Emily to the couch, sitting them both down. Emily immediately just curled into the blonde, still crying. "Should I make tea?" Jessica asked softly. She got a shake of Alison's head in response, and she just nodded. Yes, it had been quite strange to have her daughter rush into the house in a fret, and then to hear that she had been in a relationship with her best friend for months. Jessica hadn't been too surprised, of course, considering how close the two girls always were. Still, the shock of the entire situation at the moment had been quite overwhelming._

_"__Ali…" Emily wanted to say something, anything, as her tears died down, but she couldn't get any other words out._

_"__You don't need to say anything, Em," Alison cooed, stroking the brunette's hair. "Everything is going to be okay."_

_Emily shook her head, because no, it wasn't going to be okay._

_It wasn't more than twenty minutes later that the front door of the DiLaurentis house busted open. Pam Fields stood there fuming, her eyes on her daughter wrapped in Alison's arms. Emily's eyes widened at seeing her mom, and she jumped up off of the couch. Alison stood as well, clinging to her best friend._

_"__Emily Fields, you get out of this house right this second," Pam growled._

_"__Pam, are you sure you want to do this?" Jessica DiLaurentis stepped in, holding her hands up as if asking Pam not to attack her or some shit like that._

_"__I'm taking my daughter away from this screwed up family! Your daughter is sick, Jessica!" Pam snapped. Jessica's eyebrows shot up, and Alison's eyes widened. Emily clung to the blonde even more._

_"__Do _not_ talk about my daughter that way you bigoted bastard!" Jessica snapped. Pam didn't say anything in response as she stepped around Jessica and grabbed her daughter's wrist._

_"__Ali!" Emily squealed as her mom pulled her away from the blonde. It occurred to her suddenly that she hadn't said what she had meant to say the minute she'd bust into the house._

_"__Emily!" Alison shouted as she pushed past her mom and followed Pam and Emily out the front door. "What the hell are they doing? Emily!" Alison cried. She tore her arm from Jessica DiLaurentis' grasp. This wasn't okay, and she needed to do something about it. Something, anything… she couldn't stand to watch her Emily be torn away from her. When Pam Fields had caught her and Emily together, and had so unceremoniously sent Alison home, she had no idea what was going to happen, and when Emily came on her bike… Alison now found herself terrified. All she could think about was losing the one constant in her life—the one person she'd known would always be there for her. The feelings she had developed for her best friend earlier that school year had increased by a tenfold and now they were making her heart hurt even worse in this moment._

_"__Stop! Ali, I—" Emily's voice cut off as she called for Alison. Pam Fields dragged Emily into the car, despite Emily's struggling. There had never been a moment that Emily had truly hated her mother until right now._

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><p>Emily leaned her head back against the outer brick wall of the natatorium. She had been crouched here in Alison's quiet spot behind the building since fifth period, and only just now, as she heard people beginning to exit the school, was she getting ready to get up and head to swim practice. She was exhausted of tears at this point, but she wanted to keep on crying.<p>

She wanted to call her friends in Texas, or Spencer, and tell them what had happened, but she didn't know if she would be able to stand them knowing that they had been right.

Emily pushed away everything for swim practice, when she instead practiced and practiced for the meet the following day.

That same following day, Emily kept to herself. She barely spoke to her mother in the morning, made it clear to Aria and Hanna that she wasn't in the mood for talking, and shrugged off everything that Spencer said to her. She barely even spoke unless she was spoken to during her swim meet. She was even more upset about Paige anchoring, considering that if their anchor had been faster, they would have actually won the meet. Coach Fulton announced that the timed swim to decide anchor would take place the following day.

To keep her mind off of everything, Emily stayed after school at the natatorium until at least eight in the evening, pushing herself to her limits in order to prepare for the swim off on Wednesday.

Alison's Tuesday was not near as lonely, but it was just as miserable. She spent the school day barely standing her posse of followers. Amanda's birthday bash was coming up in a few weeks, and it was all the girls would talk about. Alison found herself zoning out for most of their conversations, coming back up to surface every time they looked to her.

English was the worst, when Alison found herself staring at the back of Emily's head throughout the whole class period, without even intending to. The only thing that held her together was knowing that her entire reputation depended on how she carried herself, and so she held her head higher than ever. If anyone had doubted her reign the previous week, any such thought had been wiped from their mind by Wednesday.

For Emily, Wednesday, went much like Tuesday had. Spencer had given up on breaking through Emily's defenses, and they hardly spoke. Emily only broke out of her shell for the swim off that afternoon, when she blew Paige completely out of the water by beating her highest time by three, almost four, seconds.

Thursday was the most agonizing day, for both of them. Emily spent it dodging her new friends, ignoring texts from her Texas friends, and staring longingly at Alison's contact in her phone. She couldn't get her mind off of the beautiful blonde, and all she wanted was to kiss her and pin her against a wall… but she couldn't.

Thursday for Alison was spent realizing the gravity of her loss. A new sense of purposefulness had arisen inside Alison's soul when she had kissed Emily the previous week, and had grown over that weekend. On Monday, it had been shattered, but she hadn't realized that until Thursday. She felt, once again, as though her sole purpose was to walk above the peasants that walked the halls of Rosewood High. But she could so clearly remember feeling more purposeful this time around, and so every step she took with her head held high stung.

She recalled almost making the decision to come to school without her heels, without her expensive handbags… without looking like a supermodel. It had felt so possible when she had had a renewed sense of hope about her and Emily. Now, though, it was all gone. It seemed hardly plausible that she could ever be anything else than this persona of herself. And so she walked the halls with pain, sure that nothing could ever fix her.

Friday was Emily's breaking point. She made it through her first two class periods, but as soon as she saw Alison in third period, she asked to be excused and ran from the building. Not wanting to leave entirely, she found herself curling up behind the natatorium, crying into her knees and wishing that she could stop feeling all of this pain.

Over the three years that she had been away from Alison, Emily had always at least had the one glimmer of hope that suggested that she may one day see Alison again. Then, upon coming back, she had dreaded meeting the girl she had once loved. In a week, she had nearly started falling for her all over again… no, she had started to fall for her again. And now, she was torn away again, this time by herself trying to do the right thing… the pain she was feeling in this moment told her that it had maybe not been the right thing after all.

She let herself cry and feel sorry for herself for at least ten minutes. Then, by no coincidence, she heard quiet footsteps entering the little area behind the natatorium. Emily lifted her head, revealing her tear stained face to a miserable looking blonde.

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><p><strong>I know it feels like I just condensed all of the angst into one chapter in order to keep it less... but no, there is much angst to come... Of course :P<strong>

**This flashback was one of my favorites, though, because I had to keep looking back at the expanding flashback (speaking of which, the original flashback has ended at this point, which is why it hasn't been repeated recently. It would have gotten stupid had I continued it). But I loved that I managed to connect this flashback directly into the other :)**

**Anyway! Please let me know your thoughts in a quick review :) Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana and Tweet me that you read this for a follow back C:**

**I'm super tired, but I actually need to do some homework, so that's what I'll be doing while you all are reading this :P Have a great night/day my loves! And btw, thanks so much for the response on the last chapter. I know that it was full of crazy emotions, but you all managed to be just as lovely as always! Love you guys! Please review!**


	27. Twenty-Seven

**A/N: Hello my lovelies! I apologize for this slightly late update - I have been so crazy busy! Monday was a homework day, plus my acting class. Yesterday I had a choir rehearsal and a concert and basically I didn't even get home once until 9pm, at which point I watched the PLL Xmas Episode *SQUEALS* and the Chasing Life Xmas Episode (the gayness of which had me so freaking happy)... so then that leaves us here at Wednesday, and here is your update ;)**

**Ooh, but first...**

**400th reviewer! DRUMROLL PLEEEEASE! Badadadadadadada... it was a guest reviwer yasmin ! Thank you all for your reviews! I know you all kept yelling at me with love/hate, but I loved it so much haha :* ;) c; Also, twas brought to my attention that I apparently write 'by a tenfold' too much... I can't recall saying it more than maybe 6 times so far, but if it's the case, I shall try to stop doing so as much :P**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

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><p><em>"<em>_Do you wanna come over after practice?" Emily asked, nudging the blonde. "My mom isn't home."_

_Alison flashed Emily a smile as they walked into the natatorium. "Of course I do!"_

_"__Fields!" Fulton called, and Emily looked in her direction._

_"__I'll be right back, Ali," Emily said to the blonde, who just smiled and headed into the locker room. Emily went to where the coach was standing. "Yes, Coach?"_

_"__There's been a slight change in tomorrow's line up," Fulton said slowly, her voice sounding slightly intimidating. Emily, though, was used to it. She raised her eyebrows slightly, wondering if someone had passed her as being second to last. But then, a smile appeared on the Coach's face. "I hope you're ready for your first time in the spot light. You will be anchoring for the Sharks tomorrow."_

_Emily's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Thank you, Coach!"_

_Fulton just gave a small smile. "Get in there and get changed, Fields. You had better be ready to swim tomorrow."_

_"__I'm always ready to swim, coach," Emily exclaimed, her smile widening as she hurried into the locker room. Her locker was right next to Alison's, and so the blonde immediately noticed how excited Emily was._

_"__What did Fulton say?" Alison questioned, raising her eyebrows slightly._

_"__I'm anchoring tomorrow!" Emily exclaimed. Alison's eyes lit up._

_"__I told you that you would get the spot, Em!" Alison exclaimed, pulling her thick hair up into a bun—something that Emily had seen her do hundreds of times and still didn't understand. How could all of that gorgeous hair fit into a bun?_

_"__I guess you were right," Emily commented, slipping off her shirt as she started to change. She didn't miss Alison's eyes dropping over her body as she leaned against the lockers, just watching Emily change. When Emily was completely changed into her swim suit, she said, "You're such a perv, Alison."_

_Alison just batted her eye lashes at the brunette, who smiled widely. "Come on."_

_After practice, Emily stuck in a few more laps while the other girls were getting dressed, and Alison just sat on the side of the pool with her feet in the water, waiting. Everyone else was gone by the time Emily climbed out of the pool and padded into the locker room, Alison in tow._

_"__Are you excited for tomorrow?" Alison asked as Emily slipped off her wet swim suit and began to dry off with a towel. Emily, grinning, nodded._

_"__I really didn't think I would get to anchor until at least next year," Emily admitted._

_Alison just smiled. "I knew that you would get it this year. You're amazing, Em." Emily felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment, and she set her towel inside her locker. Alison's eyes raked over Emily's naked body shamelessly. "Also, beautiful."_

_Now, Emily's face was deep red. "Not as beautiful as you."_

_Alison batted her eyelashes at her, and then met Emily's lips with her own. Their kiss immediately began to heat up, and Alison pushed the naked girl against the lockers, her hands instantly scratching down her body. Emily felt her entire being awaken as Alison touched her, and she let out a quiet moan._

_Soon, though, Emily had to push Alison off of her. "Ali, let me get dressed and we can finish this at my house."_

_Alison bit her bottom lip and nodded, pulling away and leaning her back against the lockers as Emily quickly got dressed. It was then that they rushed back to Emily's house, already later than they had planned since Emily had stayed after practice. Luckily, when they got back, Emily's mom was still not yet home. _

_Upon entering Emily's bedroom, they immediately tackled each other onto the bed and their lips met passionately. Emily's tongue was practically tied into Alison's as their make out session began to get extremely heated. Alison pushed up a bit, and then flipped them so that she was on top. Taking over the kiss, she let her hands roam down Emily's toned body. Simultaneously, Emily's hands gripped Alison's thighs tightly, eliciting a moan from the blonde._

_Just as Alison's hands began to travel up under Emily's shirt, a door could be heard opening, and Alison pulled up off of Emily faster than ever before. Both girls had their eyes trained on Emily's door, where Pam Fields stood, her eyes wide and a look of horror covering her face._

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><p>"I don't want to talk," Emily whispered, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.<p>

"Neither do I," Alison answered, stepping closer to Emily and then sitting down next to her, leaning against the wall. Emily stared straight ahead for a few moments, and then she finally turned her head to look at Alison.

"So why are you here?" Emily demanded, her voice weak and scratchy from crying. She could see tears in the blonde's eyes, but Alison wasn't letting them leak out.

"I'm here, because I hate myself," Alison stated. "And for a split second last week, I didn't. And now, I do again."

"Way to make it my fault," Emily muttered, looking straight ahead again and leaning her head back against the cold brick. It was definitely very cold outside, and Emily could see her staggered breaths turning into mist in front of her.

"I wasn't," Alison disagreed. "I wanted to apologize, but I didn't know what to say."

"Maybe that's a sign then," Emily muttered. Alison watched the brunette carefully with her blue eyes. It wasn't their fault that this couldn't work, not really.

Finally, she dropped her eyes. "My mom knows what's going on." Emily looked over at Alison now, curious. "She saw us on Saturday night in my kitchen."

"Well, that's what _was_ going on," Emily said quietly, looking away again.

"I've barely said three words to her in the last few days. I think it's safe to say that she knows what's going on now as well," Alison muttered, shaking her head. "We are so dysfunctional."

"There isn't a we," Emily interrupted.

Alison narrowed her eyes. "I didn't mean we like that. More like, I'm dysfunctional, and so are you."

Emily clenched her teeth as two more hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry in front of Alison, but it seemed that her body couldn't help it. "Sometimes I try to blame it all on my mother."

Alison finished her thought for her, "but it's not all your mother's fault, because I changed, and you expected me to be the same."

"No, I didn't," Emily argued.

"Yes, you did," Alison whispered, not getting another disagreement. "Emily, what if I could make you a promise?"

"What kind of promise?" Emily asked, her vision blurring as she forced herself to stare only straight ahead.

"What if I promised you that if we could be together for a month, in secret, without fighting to the point of ending things, that I would come out?" Alison asked, her voice shaking.

"You wouldn't be able to make that kind of promise," Emily snapped, standing up suddenly. Alison just watched her get up.

"But what if I did?" Alison demanded.

"You wouldn't," Emily growled. "We're missing class."

The brunette walked out of the corner, and Alison let out a slow sigh.

Neither girl had a good school day. Spencer managed to get Emily to talk some without getting mad or upset, but Emily was boiling with anger inside. Alison ditched lunch with her girls, and they didn't return until seventh period. Somehow, though, even that couldn't cheer her up.

Emily found some of her anger working off at swim practice, but even after half an hour of extra laps, she was still raging. She climbed out of the pool and walked into the locker room, trying hard to keep herself calm. She changed into her dry outfit, but she heard someone come into the room just as she was finishing up. "Paige, if that's you, I really don't want to hear whatever you have to say." She'd been waiting for Paige to say something about her being the new anchor.

"It's not Paige," came a soft voice.

Alison appeared next to Emily's locker, and Emily narrowed her eyes at her. "What the hell are you doing here?" Emily demanded.

"I came to talk," Alison stated.

"We can't talk, remember?" Emily muttered, closing her locker loudly, which caused Alison to jump slightly. She started past Alison, but the blonde caught her arm.

"Emily Fields, don't walk away from me right now," Alison snapped as Emily faced her. "You can't be _that_ mad at me. It was _your_ decision to not do this."

"I'm not mad at you!" Emily snapped. "At least, not that mad. I'm mad at me, I'm mad at life, _and_ I'm mad at you. Okay? I just want to go home and pretend like my life is all put together and fine."

"Emily, I could promise. What I told you earlier? I could promise you that," Alison whispered.

"I don't believe you," Emily argued.

"You don't have to believe me now, because you'll believe me when I do it," Alison stated, standing tall.

"Maybe we can talk about this when I don't feel like slamming every single locker in here?" Emily suggested, starting to pull away again.

Alison, now feeling angry as well, didn't let her, instead choosing to slam their lips together. Emily immediately reciprocated, and their mutual rage directed at themselves, and at the world, drove their tongues and teeth to clash viciously. Emily mercilessly shoved Alison against the row of lockers, and the blonde felt too good feeling Emily's hands on her body to care that this was all driven by anger.

Emily cupped Alison's ass in her hands as she lowered her lips to Alison's neck. Alison began to tear the coat she was wearing away from her body, because she was suddenly feeling hot. When Emily noticed that she was taking it off, she helped push it off of the blonde.

Their lips connected again, and Alison felt her center beginning to throb. Emily felt something similar in between her legs. Alison felt Emily unbuttoning her jeans, and she didn't stop her as the brunette slipped her fingers under her underwear.

Alison, feeling only somewhat relieved as Emily touched her, unbuttoned Emily's pants and slipped her own hand into Emily's underwear. Their lips disconnected as they both touched each other, driving each other up and up until they simultaneously climaxed.

Alison suddenly didn't feel any anger, and neither did Emily. Instead, the brunette felt incredibly guilty as she pulled back away from Alison, whose pupils were blown. But then, she couldn't feel too guilty, because she knew that Alison was just as much to blame for what had just happened.

Emily stared at Alison with wide eyes, and then let out a shaky breath. Her breathing was still uneven as she buttoned her pants again, ignoring the wetness between her legs. Alison, swallowing thickly, did the same thing, before picking up her coat and slipping it back on.

When they were both redressed, Emily looked carefully at the blonde. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"So am I," Alison answered, looking just as guilty as Emily felt.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Emily asked. "I just… I need to calm down."

Alison nodded, and then Emily ducked her head and left the locker room. Alison looked around said locker room, thinking about the last time that she had been in there. Shaking her head, she tried to figure out what exactly had just happened. They had fought—again—and then had sex—something they hadn't done in almost three years. Emily said she wanted to talk tomorrow… and Alison just hoped that it ended well. After feeling Emily like that again, Alison wasn't sure if she would ever be able to let that girl go.

She started out of the locker room, and was utterly shocked by the girl she ran into as she exited the building.

"Well, if it isn't Alison DiLaurentis," Paige mused. "In the swim locker room? I wonder what would bring you here? Any chance that it has something to do with the fact that I just _Emily Fields_ walking out to the parking lot?"

Alison narrowed her eyes at the bitch in front of her, but she couldn't think of any words to say.

"Speechless, are we?" Paige asked, sounding pleased with herself. "So, either you were here to threaten the poor girl, or… maybe she plays for our team? Maybe you have the hots for her?"

"Paige, you do know that saying things like that to me doesn't make you any better than me, right?" Alison asked.

"Doesn't matter," Paige insisted. "So, are you seeing Emily Fields, or not? I'm actually quite interested to know whether or not you have a heart."

Alison gave Paige a smirk. "Paige, you would just _love_ to hear the gory details about my sex life, wouldn't you?"

Paige raised both of her eyebrows, first flushing read and then forcing a straight face. "So you're having sex with this girl? Fascinating."

"Fascinating if you're a sex doctor maybe, but not fascinating to you," Alison growled. "No, you need to stay away from me and stay out of my sex life, got it, bitch?"

"You know, I don't think I want to. I think I might even need to get the other side of the story. This new Emily girl just keeps popping up, doesn't she? She's the first one to stand up to you in forever, then she beats me for Swim Captain, and she also managed to get anchor this week. And now, you're screwing her? Interesting. I will definitely need to hear her side of the story," Paige said, smiling evilly at the blonde.

Alison stepped right up to Paige. "You stay the hell away from Emily, do you hear me? If you so much as speak to her, I will destroy you. Do you understand me?"

Paige just smiled. "I think I'll call your bluff this time around," Paige stated. "I've just realized—you have a lot more to lose than I do."

Paige stepped around Alison, who stood completely baffled. Never had she felt so beaten by anyone. And while it enraged her, it also felt good. It felt good to know there was something that she didn't have to think about controlling, because it was completely out of her control.

Never before had Alison thought that not being in control would feel good. At least, not since she was with Emily in freshman year.

Feeling a little more like herself, which was strange for her not being around Emily, Alison started into the parking lot.

* * *

><p><strong>What the hell just happened? Double Emison fight, Emison anger sex, and then Alison and Paige in each other's faces? Talk about drama...<strong>

**I hope this chapter pleased! :) Maybe drop a review or tweet me at BrittzandTana what you thought? :D**

**I have to study a bit more for a test I have tomorrow, and then I need to go to bed... so I won't linger!**

**Have a brilliant night/day my lovely readers! You all make me so happy and I am honored to have the privilege to write for such amazing people. Love you all :) Please review c: **


	28. Twenty-Eight

**A/N: Here's the next update lovelies! I'm sorta busy with studying and things so I'm not going to linger much in these A/Ns! I know the last chapter was CRAZY! Don't worry! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Emily, your dad should be here in a couple of hours! Make sure your room is clean. I don't want him to feel like there's anything he has to do while he's here," Pam called up to her daughter._

_Emily smiled to herself. "Okay, mom!" She hadn't seen her dad in months, and it was safe to say that she was incredibly excited. She had all sorts of things to tell him, like how she was doing on the swim team—excellent, that is. She had to tell him about the first half of her first year of high school. Mostly, though, she just needed to know that he was there for her, like always, despite being away most all of the time._

_Emily finished cleaning her room, and then spent an hour texting Alison. The blonde seemed to be amused by how excited Emily was, but the brunette felt almost bad for talking to her about her dad. Normally, she wouldn't, but considering that the papers for Alison's parents' divorce had just been signed and completed. Alison didn't really seem to mind, though, and that was something that Emily loved about her best friend._

_About forty minutes before the time that her dad was due to arrive, there was a quiet knock on Emily's door. "Come in!" Emily called. Her door opened to reveal her mother, who looked a little bit upset about something. "What's up, mom?"_

_"__Your dad called," Pam answered, her voice strangely quiet. "He uh, got called into work, so he won't be here."_

_Emily's face fell, and she set her phone down on the bed next to her as she sat up to process this new information. "But… he missed Christmas, and New Years… he's not even overseas, why can't he come?"_

_"__They need him down in Texas, Emily," her mother answered, although she sounded just as upset as the younger girl. "Maybe we can go visit him in Texas sometime. Maybe for the summer, we can go see him and Uncle Charles."_

_"__Maybe," Emily agreed, though her voice portrayed the only emotion she was feeling—anger. She picked her phone up again._

_"__I thought maybe we could stay in for dinner, by the way," Pam added in a soft voice._

_Emily shook her head. "I'm going to Alison's."_

_"__Emily, this is not your father's fault, and it's not mine," Pam told Emily firmly, but the younger girl didn't care. Her phone in hand, she walked past her mom and started out of the house._

_A bike ride later found Emily walking into Alison's bedroom. The blonde, sprawled on her bed writing in something, looking up suddenly. "Emily. What are you doing here?"_

_Emily bit down on her lower lip, because now she didn't feel angry—just sad._

_"__Isn't your dad going to be here soon?" Despite the question, Alison's tone gave away that she could already guess what had happened. "Come here," she cooed softly, setting the book she'd been writing in on her end table as Emily approached the bed._

_They curled up together, Alison wrapping her arms around her best friend and stroking her hair._

_"__It's not forever, you know? Your dad… he's committed to training people who are going to defend the country," Alison said softly._

_"__Well, it sucks that he can't do it here," Emily muttered, a tear slipping from her eyes._

_"__Do you want to sleep over?" Alison asked, more as a formality, since neither girl really asked the other to sleep over—they just did. Emily nodded as another tear rolled down her cheeks. Alison hugged her tighter and wiped the tear away. "I wish your dad could be here for you, Em. You always get so happy when he's here."_

_Emily took a deep breath. "I wish both of our dads could be here," Emily said quietly._

_Alison didn't respond. Emily had taken her by surprise—the blonde hadn't expected any mention of her dad leaving. In fact, she hadn't thought that Emily thought much about the fact that Alison's family was in shreds. It was, when Alison thought about it in hindsight, a stupid thing to think. "Me too," she finally agreed._

_The next morning was Sunday, and Emily's mom was dragging her out to church, so she had to leave relatively early. Alison, however, stayed at her house. She grabbed her journal and started to finish what she'd been writing the day before. Her writing was interrupted, however, when she noticed a white hoodie resting on her desk chair. She got off of her bed to approach the sweatshirt, and noticed that it was Emily's National Guard sweatshirt. Alison hadn't even noticed that she'd been wearing it the previous day._

_Making a mental note to return it to Emily the following day, Alison slipped the sweatshirt over her head and returned to her diary._

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><p>"We need to talk about this, Em," Alison pleaded, after a good three minutes of the both of them pacing in the little corner behind the school that they had claimed as theirs. The little spot gave Emily mixed feelings—anger, sadness, but also happiness and excitement. Right now, though, she could think of nothing other than how guilty she felt for having sex with Alison. She felt horrible about it, because she felt as though it was her fault entirely. Which, she knew deep down, wasn't the case. "Emily."<p>

"I know," Emily snapped. "I'm just so… I've never felt this conflicted about _anything_, Alison. We used to be so easy. We didn't have any problems in between us, and this time around… it's like all we have between us is problems."

"Which," Alison interjected, stopping and standing squarely in front of the brunette, "you know isn't true. We have other things in between us."

"Yeah, like our fingers," Emily muttered under her breath. Alison let out a huff.

"Okay, we'll start with that," the blonde declared, her stern, assertive voice causing Emily to stop her pacing as well. "I'm not mad at you for yesterday, so you can stop being mad or upset or whatever you're feeling about it. Maybe it was a mistake, but it's not a mistake that needs to linger in between us and keep us from figuring _us_ out."

Emily squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply, before forcing herself to nod. "Fine. Okay." She suddenly appeared to be much more relaxed, and seeing that allowed Alison to calm a bit as well. "Onto what's next. That promise thing that you claim you can commit to?"

Alison clenched her teeth slightly as Emily's tone, but she let go of her anger in a single breath before she spoke. "Yes. You can trust me, Emily. I… I hate who I am, and I told you that. You're the only thing that ever makes me feel truly good about myself, and if I know that we have something real, even after everything, then I can… I can open up to everybody. I will. I know I can."

Emily swallowed visibly, and Alison took a meaningful step forward, hoping that Emily couldn't sense her fear. Her thumb began to tap against her middle finger at a rapid speed, but she ignored it.

"I _promise_ you, Emily," Alison whispered. "I promise."

Emily, feeling warmth in her chest from hearing those words, reached for Alison's tapping fingers and grabbed the hand in her own. "Okay," Emily agreed. "Fine. If we can do this without ending it again for a month…"

"I'll come out," Alison promised. "And we can be together, for real… finally."

Emily lowered her gaze, and when she met Alison's again, she asked quietly, "I'm not trying to doubt your sincerity… but are you _sure_ that you will be able to bring yourself to that point?"

Alison stood up a little straighter, staring into Emily's eyes and wishing that she was slightly taller. Emily had always been about an inch taller than her, except for when Alison was towering in her heels. But she was wearing boots—without heels—right now, and she felt too small. "I'll do it, Emily. For you. For me… I will."

Emily found herself smiling, the promise that Alison had just made lifting away almost every one of her doubts.

Alison felt a weight lifted as well, but another weight seemed to take its place on her shoulders. She forced a smile at Emily, though, and then she carefully leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to the brunette's lips. When she pulled away, she found her smile wavering. "I'm sorry, Em, but I actually have to go. I wish I could spend more time here with you…"

Emily smiled, and Alison could tell that was it was completely genuine. "It's fine."

"I'll call you, though, okay?"

Emily nodded, and they shared another single kiss before Alison had to turn and leave the area.

About an hour later found Alison at home with her mother, who was finally at the point of demanding to know what was going on with Alison. "Alison, we need to talk."

They had been sitting at the kitchen table, having lunch in the utter silence, for about ten minutes. Alison couldn't help but notice how this silence seemed to be reoccurring throughout the day. "Okay," Alison answered, her voice sounding too tight, too scared.

"I know what I saw last weekend, Alison. And I know that I told you to tell me whatever you wanted when you were ready, but—"

"But I've been a billion times moodier in the last week, despite having followed all of your new rules and made it to school on time every morning?" Alison asked, before immediately biting her tongue. "Never mind. I'm ready to tell you, I guess. It's either now or a month from now, I guess."

Jessica DiLaurentis just looked to her daughter expectantly, and the younger blonde averted her eyes from her mother's.

"Emily and I are… we're…" Alison suddenly found herself at a loss for words, because a sudden realization occurred to her. Her mother had known that Alison had been with Emily in freshman year—hell, she'd been the one to tell her in that last horrible hour. But even before that, Jessica had always seemed to know. She seemed to know things about Alison before Alison knew them herself. However, Alison had never once said the words she was about to say out loud to anybody, not even Emily. In fact, the word hadn't ever seemed to feel appropriate until just now, when she felt as though she knew who she was, for the first time ever. "Mom… I know you know what happened with me and Emily before she left… but I don't know if you know… I'm a lesbian."

Jessica hardly blinked. "Okay."

"Emily and I are… trying _us_ out again," Alison admitted. "But… I mean… I promised her that I'll… come out… if we can be together for a straight month without breaking up."

"And are you sure that you are ready for that?" Jessica asked, true to her job as a supportive mother.

Alison shrugged. "When is anyone ever ready for anything?"

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><p><strong>Who thinks that Alison will be able to follow up on her promise? She's already told her mom... hmm... :P<strong>

**Please review lovelies! It makes me super happy! :D Or you can follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana and tweet me that you read this for a follow back :)**

**Love you guys so much, thank you all for reading, seriously :) Also, the reason for slow updates can be summed up into one simple word: MIDTERMS.**

**One more week before Xmas break, though! Love you guys! Have a great day and please review :)**


	29. Twenty-Nine

**A/N: This one is a little short, I know, but you're lucky to get any update out of me today :P I've been busy with midterms, as you all know, and I will be spending a good chunk of the rest of the night studying. However, the chapter I just wrote for this story was crazy fun to write and I so badly wanna write the next one, so I may start that... haha... :P**

**Remember, 450th reviewer gets a shoutout :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_What do you think life would be like if my mom was more like yours?" Emily mused, her fingers twisting through the thick, blond locks sprawled over her lap. Alison was across her bed, on her phone. Though, she couldn't do much on it, since she kept getting distracted by the feeling of Emily's fingers on her scalp and in her hair._

_"__Better," Alison stated surely, focusing her eyes on the internet search she'd made a few minutes ago. She hadn't even read the first result yet._

_"__Do you think we… wouldn't have to always be together like this in secret?" Emily asked, wholly aware of how quiet she was._

_Alison felt herself tense for half a second at how hesitant Emily sounded. "Of course we wouldn't. We would be flaunting how great we are in front of everyone."_

_Emily took a shaky breath, dragging her fingers through a bit of Alison's hair and then pulling her hands out of the blond stuff. "I'm never going to get to be myself with her."_

_Alison gave up trying to do anything on her phone and tossed it across the bed as she sat up in front of Emily. "No, Emily. You will get to be yourself with her. And she'll learn to accept it, or she won't, and she'll lose you. Em, as soon as you're out of her reach, you should be who _you_ are."_

_Emily avoided Alison eyes as she choked out, "She will hate me."_

_"__No, she couldn't," Alison insisted, raising a hand to gently touch Emily's cheek. Emily finally forced her eyes to meet Alison's. "Nobody could ever hate you, Emily. You're sweet to everybody, even when they're not sweet to you. I wish I was half as nice as you."_

_The brunette quirked up an eyebrow. "Are you serious? Ali, you are at least as nice as I am."_

_Alison smiled. "Maybe when I'm with you, but deep down, I'm a bitch." She crinkled her nose a bit as she smiled at Emily, who rolled her eyes playfully._

_"__You are not a bitch," Emily argued, shaking her head._

_"__Watch, one day you're going to see that I'm only nice because I have you, and you'll leave me," Alison joked. Emily let out a laugh at how unrealistic that sounded._

_"__Ali, that wouldn't ever happen, because you will always have me," Emily insisted._

_Alison quirked her eyebrow a fraction of an inch as she smiled. "Oh damn, I guess I'm stuck being nice forever." She leaned forward and stole a small kiss from Emily. As she pulled away, Emily pushed forward, keeping her lips attached firmly to the blonde's. Their small kiss became a harder kiss, and then their lips molded themselves together perfectly, their tongues moving between them as well. Emily felt herself melt internally, and she knew that she would never give this girl up._

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><p>Emily felt as though every weight that had been pressing down on her shoulders, back, and every other body part had suddenly been torn away when she heard Alison's promise, and she had never felt lighter. Which is why she was hardly surprised when she found herself slipping into the natatorium and then into the locker room.<p>

Once in her swimsuit, she was cutting through water as if with a knife through melted butter. Though she wasn't timing herself, she knew that she was hitting her fastest times over again, and she didn't even start to feel exhausted until a good two hours after she started. That was when she found herself floating gently on her back instead of powering through the clear water.

She felt as though she'd been awoken for the first time in years, a feeling that arose simply from the fact that she had a chance at being with Alison, for real and in public. It was invigorating, and when she finally got up and went back into the locker room, she felt a strange peace enveloping her.

That was until she saw a certain swimmer that immediately gave Emily a feeling of exasperation. "Oh, Emily, hey," Paige said as she saw the other girl. "I thought I heard someone in the pool. Are you finished?"

"Yeah," Emily answered, trying to step past her and toward her locker.

"Congratulations, by the way, about getting anchor this time around. I was stupid to think that I would get it more than once. I mean, I did look at your stats, and seeing that you were supposed to be the anchor at one of the biggest meets in your freshman year… that's crazy," Paige admitted. The flattery made Emily feel slightly suspicious, so she stopped and faced the redhead.

"Thanks," Emily said carefully. "Too bad I never got to anchor for that meet."

"You moved like the day before, right?" Paige asked, suddenly sounding incredibly conniving and manipulative—and this was the first that Emily had seen of it.

"It was an emergency," Emily stated, aware that her defensive voice was in place.

Paige shrugged. "Whatever, far be it from me to judge your situation. Actually, on the contrary. What the hell are you doing with Alison DiLaurentis?"

Now, Emily felt totally stunned. "What?"

"Don't give me that shit. Why are you sleeping with the bitch?" Paige demanded.

The brunette felt her eyes widening. "I'm not—"

"Look, Emily, I already know the truth. But why? You're an actual genuine person, and Alison is a falsity," Paige snapped.

Emily's eyes looked anywhere other than at Paige, and she tried to figure out what was happening right now. She was trying to think up how Paige would know anything, and what she would know. "How… how do you know?"

"Let's just say I made a deal with the devil," Paige stated, her words dripping with duplicity. It didn't take Emily more than a second to place it, though.

"I wasn't aware that you and Alison were even on speaking terms," Emily stated.

"You'd be surprised what you don't know about Alison," Paige snapped.

"Actually, contrarily, I think _you_ would be surprised about what you don't know about her. I, however, know more than you ever will. So stay the hell out of my business, out of her business, and go crawl back in your hole," Emily growled, turning and starting to her locker.

"Wow, you sounded just like her," Paige mused, stopping Emily in her tracks. "I didn't think it was possible for bitchiness to actually spread like a disease."

Emily spun around on her heel, and for the first time since she heard her mother rip at Alison before she dragged them apart, Emily felt her natural instinct to defend Alison rising around her. "You need to stop! My _bitchiness_ wasn't _spread_ to me! Have you ever even felt real emotions, Paige? If not, I guess I would understand how you couldn't understand. Let's just put it in simpleton terms, shall we? You mess with Alison anymore and I will get into _your_ business."

"You two really are great for each other," Paige growled. "You both seem to share a passion of threatening me." Emily found her curiosity peaking suddenly, and Paige noticed. "What, your new sex buddy didn't tell you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emily demanded.

Paige shrugged. "I'm going to go swim. See you at practice on Monday?" Emily stared after the redhead as she walked out of the locker room, and then let out an exasperated groan as she finally went to her locker. Emily was so confused about what Paige was talking about. All she knew, though, was that somehow, Alison had spoken to Paige and now Paige knew that she and Alison had slept together. Emily didn't know whether or not to be scared.

As she was driving home from the natatorium, Emily tried to call Alison so that she could ask her about it, but the blonde didn't pick up. Emily found herself back at her house, feeling extremely confused. Once in her room, she tried Alison once again, only to have the call go straight to voicemail.

"Emily," Pam Fields suddenly said as she knocked on Emily's slightly open door. "I made some lunch. I know it's a little late, but I figured you were hungry after swimming."

Emily managed a small smile and stood up, following her mom out of her room and downstairs to the dining room, where the older woman had set out sandwiches for the two of them. "Is everything okay?"

Pam smiled. "Everything is fine. Better than fine, actually. Your father is going to be back here by Christmas, for at least three months until they reassign him to something."

A smile broke over Emily's face easily. "Are you serious?" Pam nodded.

"His whole unit is moving back from overseas," she explained. "And he doesn't even have to go back to Texas—at least not yet. They may send him back there after the three months."

"Texas…" Emily's voice trailed off as a daunting thought came to her mind. "If he goes back to Texas… We won't, right?"

Pam pursed her lips. "I don't know, Emily. We haven't thought that far ahead yet. After all, he may not even be stationed back in Texas."

"But if he does get stationed there… _tell me_ that we won't go back there," Emily growled. Pam shook her head.

"Nothing is certain yet, Emily. I don't really want to pull you out of school here and have you switch back in the middle of the year, so I would rather us not go back there," her mother answered, calming Emily considerably.

Surprising both her and her mom, Emily's phone suddenly started to ring. Emily's eyes dropped to the caller ID, and she tried to keep a neutral expression as she saw Alison's name. She looked away from it and back at her mom, who gave her a confused look.

"Who is it?"

"Um, Spencer," Emily lied, shrugging. "I'll call her back later."

Setting her phone face down on the table, Emily took a bite of her sandwich and avoided eye contact wit her mother, who was shaking her head. "Answer the phone, Emily. We're not at a formal dinner, it's just lunch."

Emily nodded, feeling slightly nervous as she answered the call.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alison asked, her voice laced with concern at the two calls that Emily had made without leaving voice mails.

Emily swallowed as invisibly as possible, and then spoke with extra emphasis in every word. "Hey, Spencer. Is it cool if I call you later? I'm having lunch with my mom."

The other end of the line was silent for a moment as Alison had to realize that Emily didn't want her mom to know that it was Alison on the phone. "Yeah. Call me later."

"I will," Emily promised, before hanging up the phone and setting it down. "It's nothing important," she told her mom. The two of them finished their lunch without much more talking, and Emily really just wanted to get upstairs to her room so she could call Alison.

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><p><strong>"Whoa whoa, Tana, I thought that Pam was starting to get used to the idea of Emily being gay? Why is Emily not telling her mom that she's talking to Alison again? Oh, and while I'm asking, IS PAIGE GONNA OUT ALISON?"<strong>

**Lemme answer your questions, assuming that's what yours were. Pam is Emily's mom, she's not gonna hate her forever obviously which is why she's being cooler. But... Well... It's complicated so that's all I'll give ya lol. half of an answer I guess. Anyway! So to part 2- many of you think that Paige will out Alison... I am not going to spoil anything. Soooo I guess I won't answer your questions. **

**Anyway! Please review and follow me on Twitter :) I'll follow you back if you tweet me that you read this :)**

**Love you all!**


	30. Thirty

**A/N: Hey! Seeing as it is my Christmas break, updates should be more plentiful :) I have a couple of things to address before this chapter though…**

**Firstly, yes I did make Alison a lesbian. I didn't pick whether she was lesbian or bisexual before the story, or anything like that. I simply wrote what felt right, and when it came to the decision, I wrote what felt right to me. And she felt like a lesbian, and so that's what she is. :)**

**Secondly, to the guest reviewer who continually reviews about my supposedly fabricated drama that apparently ruins my stories… 1. Hi :) 2. I am not quite sure what about the last chapter made you so frustrated about my apparently "creating unnecessary drama". If it was the fight between Paige and Emily, that was totally already coming. It was not something that wasn't supported by past things in the story. Therefore-not created unnecessarily. If it's about Emily's mom and some drama possibly coming from that direction, also completely backed up. I'm not sure what exactly it was that made you review- again. 3. You seem to have a repetitive problem with my stories. Instead of consistently reviewing how much my stories disappoint you when I, as you said, ruin them, I would recommend that you stop reading. Not every story is for everyone, and I would rather that you didn't waste your time on mine if you don't like them. :) Thanks, have a fantastic day.**

**Heh.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

_"__So, what do you want for Christmas?" Emily asked the blonde as she entered Alison's room. Alison looked up from her phone and her face lit up._

_"__What do _you_ want for Christmas?" she asked right back. Emily just gave her a pointed look, only to receive a sly look. "I don't know, Em. You don't have to get me anything."_

_"__Seriously?" Emily demanded. "We always get each other presents for Christmas, Ali. Now fess up and tell me what you want, because you're not getting out of this."_

_Alison felt her heart fluttering, because Emily never failed to make her feel so incredibly special. "I really don't know, Emily. You could give me a rock for Christmas and I'd be happy with it."_

_"__Okay, a rock it is," Emily teased, rolling her eyes and getting another smile from the blonde._

_"__You're in a good mood today," Alison commented, lifting her hand and combing it through Emily's hair casually. The smile spread over the brunette's face couldn't help but widen._

_"__Yep! So, back to presents…?" Emily continued to stare pointedly at Alison, willing her to answer. Alison, seriously not knowing what she wanted, finally decided on an idea._

_"__How about you completely surprise me, and I'll completely surprise you?" Alison suggested, quirking up her eyebrows slightly. "It'll be more fun anyway. Plus, it's not like we don't know what each other likes."_

_"__Fine," Emily agreed, seating herself on Alison's bed. "What are you doing?"_

_"__I was just sitting around being completely bored, like I always am when you're not here," Alison answered, leaning forward and stealing a quick kiss from Emily. "But you're here now, so I'm just enjoying the pleasure of your company."_

_"__I really want to go swimming, but they're doing renovations on the pool today and tomorrow for the meet next week," Emily admitted, frowning._

_Alison, immediately upset that Emily was upset, searched her mind for some sort of temporary solution. "Well, if you want, we can go make snow angels and build a snowman like we did when we were younger? The snow is getting pretty thick anyway."_

_Emily immediately smiled, because Alison always seemed to know how to make everything better. "That sounds like an excellent idea."_

_They escaped the house and went into Alison's backyard, where they threw snow at each other and acted like kids. They both got tired and cold though, and just collapsed into the white, slushy snow. "Em?" Alison called._

_"__Yep?" Emily questioned._

_Alison didn't say anything for a moment, and Emily waited patiently. Finally, though, she started to turn her head to look at the blonde, and was met with a pair of soft lips gently pressing against her own. Emily immediately kissed her back, pushing slightly against Alison and climbing up and on top of her. Their kiss became intense and hot, completely switching their body heat from too cold from snow to hot and bothered._

_Emily didn't stop kissing Alison until she realized that her hands riding Alison's shirt up, and she remembered that they were out in her backyard. Even though it wasn't openly visible, they were outside, and Alison's mom could walk outside at any second, or one of then neighbors could look out the window. She pulled off of the blonde carefully, and for a lagged second, she got a look at Alison's flustered face. Her eyes closed, her lips slightly swollen and parted, her skin flushed bright red, either from the cold or the kiss or both. Just looking at her made Emily want to kiss her forever and ever._

Emily grabbed her phone as soon as she got upstairs and away from her mom, instantly dialing Alison's number and waiting for the blonde to pick up. She felt bad for having to hang up on Alison earlier, but she also really needed to ask the blonde about the Paige situation.

Alison didn't pick up though, because she was stuck talking to Amanda meanwhile. She couldn't rightly just hang up, because even though Amanda drove her crazy, the girl was totally dependent on Alison. Alison felt basically responsible for the girl, almost like she was a pet. She knew that it wasn't good for her or the other girl, but she couldn't bring herself to just tell Amanda to stop talking.

"So, I was thinking for my party, I could do like, a theme," Amanda suggested, waiting for Alison's approval.

"Well, what theme?" Alison questioned.

"Well, since it's almost December, I thought like, winter wonderland," Amanda answered. "Is that too obvious and cliché?"

Alison bit her tongue to keep her from snapping that _yes_, it was too cliché. "No, of course not. It'll be the party of the year, Amanda. You just have to give it a special twist."

"Ooh, like what?" Amanda asked, sounding totally awed. Alison thought for a moment, glancing at the clock on her desk. Her eyes bugged as she realized that she had been talking to Amanda for nearly two hours, and that Emily had probably finished up with her mom by now.

Clearing her throat slightly, Alison sat up straight on her bed. "I don't know, you should call Mona. She'll have some great ideas."

"Mona didn't like my winter wonderland idea, though," Amanda admitted.

"Tell her that I think it's a good idea, and that if we can think of a great twist, it'll be better than any other winter wonderland," Alison said in a calm voice. Mona and Amanda were close, but they were complete opposites in almost every aspect of their personalities. For one, Mona used common sense in everything she did, and Amanda had hardly common sense.

"Okay. I'll text you later then?" Amanda asked.

"Sure. Bye," Alison said, before hanging up the call. Immediately, she noticed that she had two new missed calls from Emily. At this point, she was starting to get really worried. Had something happened? Just as she was about to hit the call button, her mom came into her bedroom.

"Alison," Jessica said, "Your father is here."

Alison's eyes suddenly widened, and her chest tightened as her hand unclenched and dropped her phone onto her bed. She hadn't seen her father in almost three years at this point. "What?"

"He's downstairs, waiting for you," Jessica answered. "He has some things to say, I guess. He won't talk until you're downstairs, come on."

Alison was already shaking her head. "No," she snapped. "I'm not going down there to talk to him. It's been _three years_, mom! He hasn't called or texted at all! I don't have anything to say to him!"

Jessica's expression was hard—sterner than usual. "Alison Lauren DiLaurentis, you come downstairs right this second and say hello to your father. And if you even think for a second of hopping out that window like you did when your brother was here—"

"I won't," Alison gave in, grabbing her phone again and slipping it into her jean pockets and getting off of her bed. She begrudgingly followed her mother downstairs and into the foyer, where her father was standing awkwardly as if he had never walked through that same foyer every day.

"Alison," he said, sounding surprisingly pleased to see her.

"Dad," Alison returned stiffly. The strangely soft expression he wore made Alison think that he was expecting her to grab him in a hug. If that was the case, he was going to be royally disappointed by how his daughter actually felt toward him at the moment.

As soon as he realized that he was getting no warm welcome, Kenneth DiLaurentis cleared his throat and carefully folded his hands together. "Well, I wanted to talk to both of you. Can we sit down?"

Jessica gave him a stiff smile and led him into the living room, Alison following lazily. She had no urge to sit amidst her broken family. At least her brother wasn't here—that was the only upside to this situation. At this point in, Alison knew that there were only two people that she really needed in her life. Her mother, and Emily.

"So, I know that we haven't had much communication over the last couple of years—"

"Three years, actually," Alison interrupted, "but please, by all means, continue."

She was entirely aware of the glare she was sending at her father, but she really couldn't care less about how he felt right now. He just cleared his throat again, nodding a small nod, and said, "Well, I just wanted both of you to know. I'm engaged."

"Congratulations," Alison stated in a monotone voice, "may I be excused now?"

"Alison," Jessica snapped in a condescending tone. Looking back to Kenneth, she said, "that's wonderful. Congratulations."

"I know… I know that we're not all on good terms, but I wanted to have your permission to invite you to the wedding. There isn't a date yet, but if you two would like to come… or if just Alison wants to come, Jessica, I thought it'd be best to ask you ahead of time," Kenneth said slowly, clearly aware of how he was not wanted around.

"No," Alison answered. "There, all done. Can I go upstairs now?"

"_Alison_," Jessica growled.

"It's fine, Jessica," Kenneth stated, "I know how teenage girls can be."

"_No_, you don't!" Alison snapped. "How could you? Do you have another teenage daughter sitting around—one that you didn't abandon?"

Kenneth blinked, looking shocked at the outburst.

"I'm going upstairs," Alison muttered, standing up and hurrying to her room. She locked her door and collapsed onto her bed. She buried her face into her soft pillow, and let out a loud, shrill scream of frustration into it. The first thing she did following was call Emily, but the girl didn't pick up. Clearly, they were having some serious communication issues, and it was super annoying.

And so Alison just tossed her phone aside and screamed into her pillow again as tears of frustration leaked from the corners of her eyes, and she let herself fall into a deep sleep, the purpose of which was simply to keep her from getting increasingly stressed.

It wasn't until Sunday morning that Emily decided that she wasn't going to wait any longer to see Alison. As soon as she was awake and dressed and ready to leave the house, she clasped her Emily bracelet around her wrist and texted Alison.

**To Ali- Can we please meet behind the natatorium?**

**From Ali- Of course. I'm so sorry about yesterday! Is everything okay?**

**To Ali- It's okay, there was trouble on my end, too. Can we just talk at the nat?**

**From Ali- Yes. I'll be there in twenty! Xx**

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief in knowing that she would see Alison soon, Emily left her house and got into her car. She forced herself to go over what she needed to say to Alison about the Paige thing as she drove, and when she got there, she noticed immediately Alison's car in the lot.

Parking far from the other car, Emily hurried out of her car and around to the back of the auditorium. She was immediately greeted by sight of Alison leaning against the wall, tapping away on her phone. "Hey," Emily greeted.

Alison immediately looked up, slipping her phone into her pocket as though whatever she had been doing was suddenly not at all of any importance. "Hey," she returned. "Are you okay? You called me so many times yesterday I was really worried."

Emily, surprising herself, stepped forward and grabbed the blonde in a soft hug. Kissing Alison was like flying, and sex with Alison was mind blowing, but the simplest hug could practically lift Emily into the air and could cure her of any discomfort—that much she was sure. When she pulled away, she gave the blonde a small smile. "I'm fine. I just… need to ask you about something."

"Anything," Alison promised.

"Paige," Emily stated.

Alison's eyes narrowed. "What about Paige?"

"I saw her in the natatorium yesterday," Emily answered. "And… the first thing she brought up in conversation with me was you."

Alison huffed angrily, but she didn't look at all surprised. "That bitch. I told her to stay away from you."

"What?" Emily asked. "Alison, how does she know about us?"

"She saw you leave the natatorium on Friday, and then she came in and saw me, and she put two and two together," Alison stated.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "You can't meant to say that she put all that together from seeing us both at the same location and on the hunch that you're gay?"

Alison took a deep breath as she realized that she needed to basically relay her entire Paige spiel to Emily. "She's not relying on a hunch anymore, Em. She _knows_ I'm a lesbian."

"What? How?" Emily demanded.

"I… sort of not so willingly told her," Alison admitted. "Or… accidentally? I don't know. I just sort of confirmed it without saying it."

"You didn't kiss her did you?" Emily asked, sounding only half like she was joking. Alison grabbed Emily's hand and managed a small smile.

"That's disgusting," she stated. Emily couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face.

"Wait, but aren't you scared she'll tell someone? I mean, she hates you," Emily questioned, and suddenly she remembered what Paige had said. "Wait, she said that you threatened her."

Alison suddenly felt scared that Paige was trying to turn Emily against her, but she shook away the fear as she realized that she shouldn't let that bitch have so much control over her. "It wasn't like that. My threats were all empty anyway. I couldn't ever do what I told her I'd do if she told."

"What did you tell her you'd do?" Emily demanded.

Bracing herself for Emily's response, Alison answered with a meek, "I told her I'd out her to her dad."

Emily's eyes widened. "You _what?_ Wait… Paige is gay?"

Alison's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah. You didn't know that?"

"Does anybody know that except for you?" Emily demanded. Alison shrugged, and it dawned on her that it wasn't as obvious as she felt it was.

"I guess not," she muttered. "Anyway, I wouldn't ever really do that to her, because let's face it, you and I both know better than anyone what can happen if somebody comes out in the wrong way to their parents. But Paige… her threats to out _me_ were not empty. I promised you that I'll come out in a month, and I will, but the last thing I need is for her to out me. You have to understand that that is the only reason that I threatened her at all."

Emily squeezed Alison's hand, smiling a small smile. "I can't really get mad at you for threatening her, because I did the same thing."

"What? Why?" Alison asked, raising a curious eyebrow. The idea of Emily getting up in Paige's face all angry and shit was definitely one hot image.

"She was getting up in my business and saying that you'd rubbed your 'bitchiness' off on me, and I snapped and told her to leave both you and me alone or I would get into her business… Nothing that she didn't deserve," Emily admitted, shrugging.

Alison couldn't help the smile that spread out over her face as she pulled Emily close to her for a warm, soft, sweet kiss.

When they broke apart, Emily held Alison still close to her. "What was up for you yesterday? What kept you so busy?"

Alison's throat constricted as she recalled her dad coming to her house. "Um, I don't really… um… I just…" Despite her lack of words, Emily could instantly tell what it was. She remembered how Alison got years earlier, not wanting to talk about it.

"Alison… your dad?" Emily asked, her voice so soft. Alison just nodded.

"Can we… can we talk about it later?" Alison asked, her voice weak. "I just want to spend time with you today, okay?"

Emily smiled, nodding. "Hey, do you want to video chat with my Texas friends? You'll love them, and I'm supposed to call them soon." Alison smiled a small smile at the brunette, not even having to answer that question. Emily could already tell by her expression what the answer was. So she got out her phone and started to open up the video chat as Alison pulled them both down to sit against the brick of the school.

**And the questioning of what Paige will do with her information continues! Also, *GASP*, Alison's dad? What?! :P And whoa who whoa, Alison is going to get an intro to Emily's Texas besties?! :D You guys will love the next piece of this story I think :) But do not fear, the first rough patch may be over… but in a story like this, you can bet it's not the last rough patch…**

**Likeee? Loveee? Hate? PLEASE let me know in a quick review :) Also, please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana :) Tweet me that you read this story and I'll follow you back c: I love to talk to y'all on Twitter, seriously :) Some of my best Twitter friends I met through them reading my FF :)**

**My house is about to become a madhouse, because my entire family is starting to roll in tomorrow. Well, not my entire family. That would be more than a madhouse. No, but we're going to have like 13 people in the same house for at least 3 days or so. I'll be sleeping on a couch/airmattress. Wish me luck haha..**

**I will update at least once more before Christmas though :) Hopefully more:)**

**Have a great night my loves! Please review!**


	31. Thirty-One

**A/N: Hello my lovely loves :) You guys will LOVE this update. This has actually one of my favorite flashbacks yet, and I hope you all love it as much as I do :D Plus, the chapter is so much fluff and UGH I love it :) I guess you guys get an almost completely drama-free chapter for Christmas :) (There will be at least one more chapter up before Christmas though so don't get upset ;) )**

**We have passed 450 reviews! Woo! You guys are incredible! My 450th was a lovely guest reviewer! Thank you all so much for your support and kind words. In fact, I actually printed out some of my best reviews/PMs (from this story and WYRA, but I haven't looked through all of my reviews yet) and pinned them on my wall, because they are like motivation to me :) I love you all so much and my words cannot describe how much that is.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

* * *

><p><em>Emily stared down at her lined paper, doodling little shapes over it. A heart here, a star there. She doodled out her own name once or twice, and she hardly thought twice as she began to write out Alison's name in big cursive. She loved Alison's name. It just felt more eloquent and smooth sounding than the name "Emily". Plus, it looked much prettier on paper.<em>

_"__Miss Fields, do you care to tell us the answer that you seem to be so busily scrawling out?" the teacher snapped from the front of the classroom in a stern voice. Emily immediately looked up, her eyes wide._

_"__Um…"_

_She hated getting attention called on herself, especially when it was bad. Alison liked attention a lot more than her, and even that wasn't much. "Or are you not actually busy doing math?"_

_Emily bit her lower lip nervously, and heard the sophomores around her smirking and chuckling. She was in an advanced math class, and she was one of three freshman in the class. She hated that. Focusing again on the teacher, she shook her head._

_"__Maybe you'd like to share what you've been drawing with the class?" the teacher snapped, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "No? Then I suggest you put it away and start taking notes before I send you to the principal."_

_"__Yes ma'am," Emily muttered, flipping the page in her notebook to the next blank page, where she started to copy down the stuff written all over the whiteboard. It seemed like lately she couldn't get Alison off of her mind at all. Winter break had caused everyone to slack a little, but Emily felt like school was now her biggest enemy. She didn't mind swimming, especially since Alison had that with her, but everything else just felt like things getting in the way of her being with Alison._

_As soon as the bell rang, Emily let out a relieved breath and jumped up, hugging her notebook to her chest and rushing off to her locker. She always felt so small in this place—not that anyone really felt big. There were a few seniors that seemed to think they owned the place, but no one ever had to worry about them. They were harmless._

_After going to her locker and trading her notebook for a lunch bag, she hurried off to the front of the school to find Alison. She found her sitting comfortably in their normal spot, her own lunch spread out in front of her. "Hey," Emily greeted, sitting across from her._

_"__Hey!" Alison's face lit up almost immediately from seeing Emily. "How was math?"_

_Emily groaned. "Why do you ask questions like that? You know I'll say that it was awful—which is was. How was French?"_

_"__Same," Alison answered. "Mona Vanderwaal is back from her winter trip to Paris, and she's flaunting it to everyone. Her new clothes, her new shoes. She learned things in French that we haven't learned yet, and she's made it a point to teach them only to her little group of mindless pussies. They kept whispering to each other about whatever the hell it was and then giggling like they were sharing secrets. She was gone for two weeks! You can't learn how to say every secret in French after being gone for two weeks! And it's not like she learned anymore than to ask 'Where are the shoes?' and 'How many calories is in that?' while she was gone."_

_Emily tried not to laugh, because when Alison got into rage mode about Mona Vanderwaal, she scowled nonstop and there was a little wrinkle in her forehead that always made Emily smile. "She sucks," she said instead, though one side of her mouth quirked up._

_Alison raised an eyebrow, her scowl gone. "What?"_

_"__Nothing," Emily answered defensively, biting the inside of her lip. Alison now raised both of her eyebrows, waiting until Emily cracked and told her why she was smiling. "You're just cute, okay? It's not my fault."_

_Red rushed to Alison's cheeks as she lowered her eyes. It wasn't long before they flickered back up to Emily's though, a small smile now spread on her face. "You must've rubbed off on me," she answered coolly. Emily laughed as she began to eat her lunch, nudging her foot against Alison's under their table._

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><p>Alison felt slightly nervous as Emily opened up her video chat on her phone. She imagined that Emily must be a little nervous as well, so she tried to act as confident as possible and she leaned into the brunette slightly. Emily's phone pulled up a screen divided into four rectangles. Three of them were loading. The other one was the frame that Emily and Alison were squeezed into. Alison leaned out of it slightly, because <em>yes<em>, she was a little scared.

The first person to pop up was a girl with blonde hair that reached barely below her ears. "Emily!" the girl exclaimed.

"Hey, Mia," Emily returned. "Not interrupting are we?"

"Nope," Mia answered slowly, raising her eyebrows slightly as she noticed the other girl in the screen.

"Mia, this is Alison. Alison, Mia," Emily introduced, sounding suddenly very defensive. Alison forced a smile as it occurred to her that Emily had likely told these girls all about her.

"_Alison_," Mia said, sounding baffled. "Um, hi. I've heard about you."

"Mia…" Emily started quietly, but then another girl picked up the call.

"Em! It feels like months, but it's been a week!" the girl insisted, pushing a bit of her light brown hair out of her face. "What's—"

"Lea," Mia interrupted, "Em brought a date to our video chat."

Alison felt heat rising to her cheeks, but she resisted leaning out of the frame. Lea's eyebrows jumped up. As Emily began to talk, understanding seemed to seep into Lea's expression. "Lea, this is Alison. We didn't really get to hang out yesterday, so I figured I could just call you guys while she's here."

"Of course," Lea said, "that's totally cool. Nice to meet you, Alison. I've heard lots about you. And when I say lots, I mean a good three years worth of stuff."

Now, Alison finally smiled for real. She looked at Emily, who blushed. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Whoa, who is that?" came a new voice as the last square filled in to reveal a girl with thick, dark hair.

"Cass, this is Alison. Alison, Cass," Emily said for the third and final time.

"_The_ Alison?" Cass questioned. "Whoa."

"The Alison?" Alison muttered, looking at Emily suspiciously.

Emily rolled her eyes. "You're not the only Alison I've ever known."

"But I'm _The_ Alison," Alison mused, smirking. Emily blushed and looked back at her friends, who were clearly holding back laughs. Alison suddenly felt less nervous, especially considering that Emily wasn't being weird about any of this and that felt nice. She let herself lean into the girl a little bit more.

"How are things you guys?" Emily asked her friends.

"Boring!" Cass exclaimed.

"You can't ask Cass," Mia snapped, "to speak for all of us. She's just mad because her fake boyfriend dumped her."

"Matt?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow. "I told you that wasn't going to end well."

"Yeah well it's not like I cared about him. But _I_ was supposed to dump _him_," Cass muttered.

"What you really need, Cass, is a heart," Lea teased. "On a happier note, Liza Williamson _finally_ asked me out. I knew that she wanted to, and all you guys tried to tell me that it wouldn't happen. But it _did_."

"She won't stop rubbing it in our faces," Mia stated, shaking her head. "Not that we're jealous—"

"Oh come on, even you straight-as-a-board bitches can admit that she's the most gorgeous person to walk the planet," Lea insisted.

"Hey, you forgot about me," Cass interrupted.

"No, I didn't," Lea deadpanned.

Alison found herself holding in giggles. These people were perfect to be friends with Emily. Quirky, outspoken. She imagined that they were the people who had helped Emily grow up so much—because she clearly had. Also, she was only slightly surprised to hear that one of the girls was gay, and she was actually quite happy to hear that. Mostly because she knew that Emily had had someone to talk to in Texas.

Emily looked at Alison with a soft smile, and grabbed her hand. Alison intertwined their fingers, because in this moment, she felt something she hadn't felt maybe ever. A feeling like she completely belonged in this moment, with Emily and with people that could accept both of them.

"Whatever," Cass muttered, rolling her eyes.

Mia shook her head at both of them. "Em, how are things over there?"

"Fine," Emily answered, a smile creeping onto her face. Alison couldn't keep one off of her face either.

Lea was the first to really call them out and, somehow, that didn't really surprise Alison at all. "Okay, I don't mean to sound blunt or rude or whatever, but… What exactly is happening here? Because last weekend, Emily, you seemed a lot more… and then when you texted us in the middle of the week…"

"Uh—" Emily started to think of something to say, but Alison found herself interrupting her and squeezing her hand.

"I'm going to get over myself," Alison stated. "Soon."

Cass and Mia both made concerned expressions, and Lea seemed to be holding in words. Then, all at once, they spilled out. "Alison DiLaurentis if you hurt Emily I will personally fly out to Pennsylvania and I will beat the shit out of you."

"Lea!" Emily exclaimed, but Alison only blinked, hardly fazed. Well, actually, she was quite shocked. But going three years of pretending to be emotionless had at least one perk—looking completely unfazed when you were genuinely freaked out.

"It's fine, Em," she said. "I'm glad you have friends like them. And Lea, I've done some stupid stuff… but I'm working on it."

"Don't worry, Alison. Lea would never come and beat you up anyway," Cass piped up. "She tries to act like a big, bad, lesbian, but she's really such a pussy."

"Please excuse me while I walk across the street and beat the shit out of Cass," Lea stated, and then her camera went blank. Mia snorted as Cass's eyes widened.

"Um… I think Lea has gotten even crazier since you left, Emily," Cass muttered, glancing behind her like Lea would pounce on her in any second.

"I really miss you guys," Emily admitted, sounding for the first time in this conversation really sad.

"We miss you, too," Mia returned. "Seriously. Since you've left, I always feel bad going out with these two, because Lea and I totally just drag Cass around like a third wheel."

Emily laughed, and Alison smiled, as Cass scowled. "Why am I everyone's target today?"

Suddenly, a door could be heard opening up behind Cass, followed by a mighty scream and then Cass's screen went black as they could hear some serious girl fighting going on. Alison was holding her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, and the expression on Emily's face was obviously stifling a laugh as well.

"You little bitch!" Cass could be heard yelling.

"I'm a bitch?" Lea demanded. "I am not a _pussy_ you asshole!"

"Oh right, you're half pussy and half—"

"That is not a funny joke you bitch! Just because I'm a lesbian does not make me part boy!"

"Does this always happen?" Alison whispered to Emily, her eyes wide. Emily was trying hard not to start laughing as she nodded.

"Always," Emily replied. "I think I got tackled once or twice by Lea. She can definitely take anyone."

"I'd like to see her try and take me," Alison whispered, winking. Emily blushed slightly, but their moment was broken when they heard Lea squeal.

Cass retrieved her phone from where it had been tossed on the bed, smiling triumphantly into the camera. "I took care of the bitch."

"Cassidy Andrews I will mess you up so badly that when you wipe your nose, you'll actually be wiping your ass!" Lea growled, falling onto the bed next to Cass. "But later, because now I'm tired."

"Are both of you in one piece?" Mia asked, rolling her eyes.

"Barely. I almost ripped Cass's attitude off."

"Real funny," Cass deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "Emily you need to come back and here keep Lea from making my nose my ass or whatever she said she's gonna do."

"I'd love to Cass, but even if I was there, there's no way that I would step in between Lea and her victim when she's raging," Emily said, smirking.

"Mia! It's a lesbian conspiracy, they're taking over!"

Lea grabbed a pillow from Cass's bed and whacked her mercilessly with it. Afterward, she tossed it onto the floor as Cass laughed, and looked at the screen on Cass's phone. "Alison, you're a lesbian, right?"

"Um, yes," Alison answered, feeling slightly squeamish for a moment, though trying to hide it. She wasn't used to being… herself. At all, except for around Emily.

"Awesome! We outnumber you bitches now," Lea said to Cass. Mia rolled her eyes as Cass just shrugged Lea off. Alison felt herself smiling, because just knowing that she was somehow included in this group already made her feel great.

"Damn it," Mia muttered. "I have to go, you guys. I'll text you later, okay, Em?"

"Okay, bye Mia." Her screen went blank like Lea's, and now they were just looking at Cass and Lea stuffed into one box on the screen.

"I actually have plans pretty soon, too," Lea admitted. "With Liza. And now I need to go fix my makeup because of this bitch."

"Hey, _you_ attacked _me_," Cass reminded her with a scowl.

"It's cool, Lea. I'll text you both later," Emily told them, smiling. Lea gave her a pointed look through the camera.

"You better. Bye you! Bye, Alison! It was awesome to meet you!" Lea exclaimed.

"Bye, Lea. Bye, Cass," Alison returned smiling.

"See you guys," Emily chimed, ending the call. She immediately set her phone down and looked at Alison. "So?"

"I love your friends," Alison admitted. Her expression fell only slightly as she added, "They bring out a really funny side of you. It's different."

"Bad different?" Emily asked, looking suddenly worried.

"Yeah, as if you have any bad sides, Emily," Alison retorted. "No, I just meant… I don't know. I wish _I_ could bring it out in you."

Emily smiled softly. "If it makes you feel better, you bring out more than one secret side of me, and none of them could ever do that."

"That does make me feel better," Alison said, chuckling. "Thanks. For letting me meet them. Obviously, they've heard about all the shit that went down last week."

"Yeah, they did. But it's not a problem, Ali. I wanted you to meet them. I wish you could've met them in person, though. I really think you would love them," Emily admitted, frowning.

Alison brushed some hair out of Emily's face. Then she asked, in a really quiet voice, "Do you want to go swimming?"

Emily's eyes widened. "You want to go swimming?"

"Why wouldn't I want to go swimming?" Alison questioned. Emily blinked, and bashfully opened her mouth to answer.

"Coach Fulton told me that she thought you never liked swimming, and that you only ever swam to be with me," Emily admitted, her voice really quiet.

"When did she say that?" Alison questioned.

"My first day back, when I was beside myself asking her if you were still on the team," Emily answered. "I don't know… I couldn't decide whether or not she was right."

"It's not that I don't like swimming," Alison stated, lowering her gaze a little. "It's just that… swimming isn't ever fun without you. I swore that I wasn't ever getting in that pool ever again. Too many memories."

Emily searched Alison's face carefully. "Let's so swimming."

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><p><strong>Alright... so... I hope nothing felt too OOC. That was the only thing I was worried about with this chapter. I mean, obvs not with Emily's friends because they are totally figments of my imagination (the bffs I wish I had haha), but Emily and Alison... Eh, I guess it's fine. Opinions on the chapter would be lovely, though, because despite how much I loved it, I was a bit worried about it.<strong>

**Ahhhhh :) I'm a happy camper today. Got up early and got to hang out with my little sister a bunch. Then my oldest sister got here with my nephew and have been hanging out with them. Then I took a bath and now I'm all soft and clean and comfy and I just had a good day :) I hope that you all had/have equally amazing days :)**

**Sooooo... that's all for now! Though, now that I think about it, it's not all for now, because I have more to say.**

**1. I do have another WIP Emison fic going on off of FF. I'm currently on Chapter 5 of it, but it won't be posted until after this is over. The soul purpose for that is that sometimes when I put up two fics for the same ship, I become way too invested in the new one and the old one, which would be this one, dies off much too soon. There is no way I could do that to you guys. The only reason that I'm telling you that I'm working on another is so that you don't worry. My AU Emison will live on past this fic :)**

**2. Though I still don't know when this will end, I'm super pumped because when it does (tears tears tears) I have a surprise for you all :) Hehe... Yeah that's all I have to say about that though, because it's a surprise...**

**Goodnight my lovelies! Have a wonderful night/day :) And please review :)**


	32. Thirty-Two - Merry Christmas

**A/N: Merry Christmas Eve my lovelies! I really wanted to post my Christmas Flashback chapter on actual Christmas, but I'll be busy with family tomorrow and same with late tonight, so here it is right now :) I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday, and to those who don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that your holiday is going great/went great/will go great/I hope you're doing great haha :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL!**

**PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!**

* * *

><p><em>Alison found herself waking up at much too early of a time, her phone going off loudly next to her. Groaning, she grabbed it and answered the call. "Hello?"<em>

_"Merry Christmas!" came Emily's cheery voice. It immediately brought a smile to Alison's face, and she couldn't help but feel incredibly happy already._

_"Merry Christmas, Em," Alison returned, aware that her voice was low and raspy in the morning. Normally, it would make her feel slightly self conscious, but she knew that Emily couldn't care less. "Why are you up so early?"_

_"I convinced my mom to get up at what she considers and ungodly hour to open our Christmas presents. She's only going along with it because my dad can't be here, and she's trying to make Christmas awesome for me," Emily answered._

_"What's so awesome about waking up at five in the morning?" Alison muttered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes._

_"Well, she knows that I want to see you for Christmas. So we're about to open presents, and then I can come over to your house while you and your mom open presents. That way, I can give you mine in person and visa versa," Emily answered. "And then I'll come back and have Christmas dinner with my mom."_

_Alison smiled widely. She was more than okay with Emily coming and spending part of Christmas with her, but she was slightly concerned. "Are you sure you don't just want to spend it all with your mom? I mean, she's got to be pretty upset that your dad can't be here."_

_"Actually, I think she'd rather be by herself for a little bit. That's how she always is when he can't come visit us," Emily admitted, sounding slightly put out. "But it's fine. I'll be over there in a couple of hours. Don't start opening presents without me!"_

_Alison let out a light laugh. "Em, I probably won't even be awake in a couple of hours. See you later. Merry Christmas."_

_"See you, Ali," Emily responded, hanging up the call. Alison smiled to herself as she set her phone back down on the side table next to her. She laid her head back down on her pillow and let sleep consume her._

_Two and a half hours later, Emily let herself into Alison's house, using the spare key that they had hidden on their porch. She wasn't surprised to see that neither Alison nor Mrs. DiLaurentis were up yet. It was still pretty early._

_Making her way upstairs, Emily did her best not to make much noise. Alison's house felt as much of her home as her own house did, and it was never hard to find anything, especially not the big Christmas tree sitting in their living room. Emily placed her present to Alison under the tree, and then proceeded to make her way upstairs to Alison's bedroom. The blonde was sleeping soundly under her blankets, and Emily couldn't keep a smile off of her face._

_She slipped off her boots and her coat and made her way to the bed, quietly slipping under the covers behind Alison and wrapping her arms carefully around her. Alison made a slight shift in position, but she didn't wake up. Instead, in her sleep, she seemed to melt into Emily's embrace._

_Emily dozed off as she waited for Alison to wake up, but she woke up quickly as she felt Alison begin to stir in her arms. The blonde turned over, and by the time she was facing Emily, her eyes were open. "Hi," she breathed out softly._

_"Good morning," Emily returned, smiling._

_"It's a little creepy going to bed alone and waking up with someone's arms around you," Alison commented._

_"Oh please, you knew that I'd be here when you woke up," Emily insisted, a smile growing onto her face. Alison nodded bashfully that she had known, and Emily pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. A second later, they pulled apart, and Alison rested her hand on Emily's cheek._

_"Merry Christmas," she whispered. After a beat, she smirked and asked, "So what did you get me?"_

_"A rock," Emily deadpanned, before quirking her lips up into a smile. Alison grinned._

_"Is it on a ring?" she teased, getting Emily's jaw to drop with surprise._

_"It's under your Christmas tree," Emily answered. "You'll have to open it with all the rest of your presents."_

_"Fine," Alison muttered, pretending to sound upset. "What time is it?"_

_"Don't know, don't care," Emily answered, curling into the blonde. Alison let out a quiet chuckle and started to run her fingers through Emily's dark hair._

_Suddenly, there was a knock on Alison's door. "Alison, honey. Time for Christmas presents. Then I'm going to run to the store for Christmas dinner."_

_"Okay," Alison called. Emily pulled away slightly to give the blonde a curious look._

_"She doesn't sound like herself," she commented._

_Alison gave a sad smile. "She's not really feeling Christmas this year. She thinks she has to put up a good front for me. Losing dad… and Jason not coming around anymore… it's all hitting her really hard. I don't really blame her. I mean what do you do after losing someone you've been around for over twenty years?"_

_"Are you okay?" Emily questioned, raising concerned eyebrows. "I mean, if you're not feeling up for Christmas you could've just told me."_

_Alison smiled at how sweet Emily was. "I'm fine, Em. I'm just glad that you're here. We should probably get up, though."_

_Ten minutes later found them finally getting downstairs after dragging each other out of bed. Jessica DiLaurentis looked slightly surprised at seeing Emily. "Emily, I didn't know you were here."_

_"I came in earlier," she told Alison's mom._

_"Well, we're happy to have you join us."_

_They spent the next half hour exchanging presents—though Emily just spent it watching them open theirs. After they'd opened the ones they'd given each other—and the ones they'd gotten from relatives—Alison's mom claimed that she needed to run to the store and that she wouldn't be back for a couple of hours. She wished them a Merry Christmas, and then she left Emily and Alison alone in the house._

_"Alright, so are you ready to open my present to you?" Emily asked, holding the neatly wrapped present in her hands._

_"I guess so," Alison answered teasingly. "If it's a rock, I—"_

_"You'll what?" Emily snapped, her voice playful. "Don't worry, it's not. Open it!"_

_Alison actually felt herself holding her breath as she tore away the wrapping paper. She exhaled as soon as she saw what was under it. A leather bound journal. It was an off white color, but there was a pattern of black lines covering the entire thing. She couldn't tell if it was supposed to make a shape or not, but she could tell that it was beautiful. "Em, I love it."_

_"Good," Emily breathed out, as though she had been worried that Alison wouldn't have liked it._

_"Now, you have to come upstairs to see the present that I got you," Alison said, grabbing Emily's hand and squeezing it tightly in her own. She led Emily back upstairs, her new journal carried safely in the hand that wasn't holding Emily's. As Alison went to her desk to retrieve Emily's present, she felt slightly nervous. "You're going to think its so boring."_

_"Doubtful," Emily argued._

_"I didn't wrap it and put it under the tree because I didn't want to mess it up," Alison explained as she passed a small gift bag to Emily. Smiling to herself, Emily reached into the bag and retrieved a snow globe. It wasn't just a lame snow globe, though. No, inside of this one was a picture of her and Alison together. It was taken earlier that winter, Emily recalled. Their cheeks were pressed together, their noses slightly reddened with cold._

_"I love it," Emily breathed out, before smiling widely at Alison._

_"I just wanted to get you something special, and I thought that—"_

_"Ali," Emily interrupted, "I really do love it."_

_Alison relaxed a little and sat down next to the brunette. "Good." After a pause, she leaned toward the brunette and pressed her lips firmly to Emily's. Emily's hands immediately released their hold on the snow globe and attached themselves to Alison's waist. After gripping it firmly, she pushed and turned them so that she was straddling Alison at the end of the blonde's bed._

_The sound of the snow globe hitting the floor only distracted them for a second, because as soon as they were sure it wasn't broken, their lips were reattached to one another. Alison was tugging Emily's t-shirt up immediately, but Emily didn't want to detach her lips from Alison's body to let her take it off._

_Instead, she dragged her lips along Alison's skin and to her neck, sucking on bits of skin that she knew would make Alison let out soft moans. Over the past two months, they had become much more accustomed to each other's bodies, even if they had only actually had sex once._

_Once was about to become twice, though, as Alison, giving up on trying to undress Emily, pushed the other girl off of her in order to tear off her tank—revealing a bare chest—and slid off her pants. Emily just stared in awe, before placing her mouth back on Alison's body, licking along her collarbone and down to her breasts as her hands squeezed Alison's thighs._

_Alison let out a deep moan as she felt Emily's tongue and lips grip her nipple. She arched up against Emily, her center making contact with Emily's thigh. The temporary relief of Emily grinding her thigh into Alison was just that—temporary. Alison needed Emily to touch her._

_"Em," she moaned out. Emily detached her lips from Alison's body and sat up slightly, tearing off her top and discarding her bra. And finally, as Alison scooted herself all the way back on her bed, Emily attached her lips softly to Alison's, and lowered her hand into Alison's wet underwear._

_The blonde let out a gasp and a moan at feeling Emily slip inside of her, and she felt her eyes roll upwards. She felt her tension building and then, after what could have been seconds or hours—it felt all the same to Alison—all of it released as Emily brought her to climax._

_Going limp under Emily, she let out a shaky sigh. Her breathing remained uneven as Emily pulled her hand out of Alison's underwear._

_When Alison could finally breath normally, she curled into Emily, who was now laying beside her. "I wish my mom could just stay at the store all day," Alison muttered. She wanted to make Emily feel just as good as she now felt, but if she was being honest, she was suddenly extremely tired._

_"If you want, I can come back tonight," Emily suggested. Alison raised her eyes to look at the brunette questioningly._

_"Thought you were having dinner with your mom," Alison said._

_"I am. Doesn't mean I can't come back after," Emily stated, shrugging._

_"Will she let you?"_

_Emily quirked up an eyebrow. "Does she have to know?"_

* * *

><p><strong>I really hope you all liked this fluffy little chapter :) I know you all love Flashback Emison ;) Speaking of flashbacks, I received the suggestion to make a flashback of Alison after Emily left... and if I'm being honest, I've considered it almost every time I go to write a flashback. However, I have already decided that I will not go past the flashback that was repeated. I'll fill things in, but I won't go forward. I might, though, write one from before their first kiss on Halloween. So we can see them in their friendship before their relationship. Thoughts?<strong>

**I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas get everything you want tomorrow morning :) Maybe you can drop me a review before you party too hard tonight? Hehe :P Also please follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana :) Tweet me that you read this chapter and I'll follow you back and, for today and tomorrow, I'll also give you a shoutout :) Call it a Christmas Present haha :) And if I know that you read it and you follow me on Twitter, you still need to tweet me for the shoutout ;P**

**Have a wonderful Christmas my lovelies :***


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